Insane, Deadly, and Going Postal?
by HappyMe-O
Summary: Sequel to Rivals, Love, and Tag! Hwoarang is missing, trapped in an unknown area and in an unknown place. Can Jin and the others find him?
1. Prologue

**RLT 2: Insane, Deadly, and Going Postal?**

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

_Prologue_

**~x~**

"It's been a month now."

"I know."

"There hasn't been any sight of him yet. You don't reckon the worst has happened?"

"No, but I am worried about Jin, too. He disappeared right after Hwoarang did."

"Yeah, I know. Should we look for him, too, then?"

"No. If anything, Jin isn't himself right now. It might be dangerous for us to even go near him."

"But—"

"Steve, trust me on this. I know Jin, and I know what the thing trapped inside him is. It isn't a good idea to go and find Jin unless we know where Hwoarang was," Lee said as he stepped away from the kitchen sink and over to the fridge.

Lee and Steve had vacated the temple a few days after Hwoarang had disappeared. Then, two weeks after that, they had left for New York and rented a three-bedroom apartment.

Lee had given orders to a few "workers" of his to keep a search on Hwoarang. For now, Lee and Steve were going to stay on the down low. Neither of them were sure what would happen if they were caught snooping around for answers. So, Lee had ordered a few of his people to do it for them.

It was just the sitting around and waiting that was the hard part. They had been in New York just over a week now, and still, there was nothing.

Steve had felt that the longer Hwoarang was missing the worse it could get. For all they knew, the redhead could be dead and now forgotten. It was a scary thought, but Steve knew not to rule it out.

What made things worse was that Jin had gone on his own to search for Hwoarang. Lee had a feeling it was due to the devil within. He had figured it out because Jin had been so upset after Hwoarang disappeared that he had snapped and left without thinking. That, in itself, made things all the more dangerous, and not just for Jin, but for everyone.

"All right, Lee, but we have to do something soon," Steve said and looked up at Lee.

They made eye contact and Lee sighed, nodding his head, knowing Steve was right.

**~X~**

Jin Kazama walked through the forest slowly, taking in his surroundings and admiring their beauty. He was home back in Yakushima, where he had grown up with his mother. He didn't know why he had decided to go there; he just felt it was his best option.

He made his way over to the lake and sat on a rock near it. He had been at his home for several days now, mostly thinking and trying to sort everything out. He was so worried about Hwoarang that he had to clear his mind and do things right. Not let the devil inside him take over.

Jin took off his sandals and placed them to the side and stood up, removing his shirt and pants afterward. Once he was fully undressed, he stepped into the water until he was waist deep and dived under.

If there was one thing he missed about living in Yakushima, it was bathing in the lake. The water was refreshing and cleaner than any water you got in the house. When he was swimming, he felt as if his soul was free. It really was comforting.

Popping his head out of the water, Jin took in a deep breath, letting the air go through his lungs again. He pushed his hair back and stared up at the night sky. The stars were shining and the moon was full, shining down on the waters and making the lake all the more beautiful.

He briefly wondered if Hwoarang would have liked this, too. If Hwoarang was been there, would he stare up at the moon with him or would they be too into each other to notice? Jin's mind turned to the two, sharing hot kisses and gentle touches as they fooled around in the cold water, feeling hot from their passion. If Hwoarang was there with him, there would be nothing to worry about.

But Hwoarang was not there. Jin didn't know where Hwoarang was, or where to find the redhead. He wasn't even sure if he was still alive.

**~X~**

Hwoarang stared at the dark floor beneath him, but he didn't see a thing. His mind wasn't focused on anything. The vision in his left eye was blurry, and his eye was bloodshot from too little sleep; his right eye was swollen shut from a cut across his face.

Chains wrapped around his wrist and ankles, holding him to a wall and off the ground. His feet were bare, dirty, and bit bloody from all the times he had struggled to get free by scraping them off the wall behind him.

The man who was keeping him hostage was a big surprise. He still couldn't believe who it was, even after he had seen him, talking with him, and even after the man had smacked him. The man, Lord Kaji, was a mystery even to him.

Even so, Lord Kaji had left Hwoarang in a dark state of depression. The redhead was confused about everything that had happened to him in the past. Now, he wasn't sure what had happened, why it had happened, and whom it happened to.

Nothing made sense to him anymore. He felt lost, confused, scared, and angry all at once. He wanted out, but another part of him wanted to die.

That one tragic experience in his life that had happened years ago was now haunting him in the face. In a single moment, it had disappeared and never happened at all. _But it felt so real…. I was there. I saw it all happen. I heard everything! Didn't I? Was it just a dream? No. it wasn't a dream, I didn't make it up… but then… but then, how is he alive?_

_Did I kill the wrong man? Is this just a sick joke? Are they making me see things that are not real?_

_Or was it all a lie? Did I just pretend it? I couldn't… it has to be a trick! Or is it not real at all? Maybe I am dreaming?_

Hwoarang slowly raised his head and stared at the dark door in front of him. It looked so far away. He knew he would never reach it. He had tried so many times and, each time, he had failed. It was useless now. He had lost his hope and his spirit days ago.

If what he had had with Jamie had been just a dream, then he believed Jin had been one, too.

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Decisions

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

* * *

_Chapter Two_

_Decisions_

**~x~**

Torture, that was what all this was; it was torture. Why did they leave this man here to watch him? _It's not like I can go anywhere_, Hwoarang thought to himself as he stared at the man who was watching him.

The guy was sitting in a chair across the room and eating a pie. Hwoarang had to wonder how he was so thin despite eating all that pie. It was also disturbing.

"Oh, I'm sorry, do you want a slice?" the man suddenly said, looking up at Hwoarang with a smile.

"No." The chains rattled as Hwoarang looked away.

The man frowned. "Okay, then, more for me," he said, taking another bite of pie. He chewed slowly and savored the taste. "There is nothing better then a slice of lemon pie, besides your mum's homemade stew, of course. Are you sure you don't want any? You look famished," he asked again.

Hwoarang sighed. "You're annoying."

"Now, that's not a nice thing to say, is it? I'm just offering you something to eat. I know you haven't eaten much in a few days. You must be starving, ya?"

"Cha, you're keeping me chained and locked away and you are worrying if I'm hungry or not? You're really weird. Besides, how would I be able to eat it? My hands are kind of chained, you know," Hwoarang said, glancing back at the man.

"Well, if you ask nicely, I'll feed it to ya, and if you don't, I'll just shove it in your mouth and see where it goes from there," he said, standing to his feet.

Hwoarang snorted. "I don't want your pie. Why are you even here?"

The man frowned and took the few steps over to Hwoarang looking at him. "I was asked to watch you, of course. The boss has stepped out for a wee bit, and you never know what could happen."

Hwoarang rolled his eyes. "Oh I see, so you are a babysitter? Yeah, that's what I need. I'm chained to the fucking wall with a broken leg and hardly any will to live, and they leave me a babysitter!" Hwoarang was enraged. He wanted nothing more then to get out of his binds and kill every one of them. _Isn't hanging here day after day torture enough? _He thought to himself, looking away from the man.

"Ah, look, lady; I'm only doing what I was paid to do. If it was up to me, I would let you go; honest, I would. What is it that you did that got you here in the first place?" the man asked, watching Hwoarang with mild interest.

"I don't know… no one will tell me anything. They keep on saying, 'You'll know soon enough,'" Hwoarang sighed, lowering his head, his hair falling in front of his face. He stayed silent for a moment before starting to speak again. "You must have been paid a lot to be babysitting a dead man, huh?"

The man frowned and sat back down, picking up his pie tray. "Not as much as I would like, only a dozen of lemon pies. But it will do until they give me more work."

Hwoarang blinked. Was this guy for real? "They paid you in pies? Holy crap, that's fucking insane!"

"What else would they pay me in? I already have enough money, but I can never get a good pie, and these lemon ones are my favorite. Plus I am the best. Anyone who knows my name will offer me the best, and these are the best," he said and took a large bite of pie.

Hwoarang just stared at the man in front of him, not sure what to make of him. "Who are you?"

**~X~**

Lee sat in the living room of the small apartment he shared with Steve. He had a serious expression on his face as he stared at his cell phone, which lay on coffee table in front of him.

He hadn't had any calls from Tokyo in four days, and he was becoming worried. It wasn't easy, just sitting around and waiting, when two of his good friends were missing.

"Any word yet?" Steve asked as he walked into the room, a towel around his shoulders and a bottle of water in his hand.

Lee nearly jumped when he heard Steve's voice and he glanced over at the blond and shook his head. "No, and I am becoming increasingly worried."

Steve sat down on the couch and frowned. "Damn… and I thought they would have heard something from Jin, at least."

Lee nodded, picking up his phone and flipping it open, looking at it as if looking would make it ring. "Well, I may know where Jin is, but like I said, I don't know if it would be safe to go there. It might be best if we wait for him. Then again, Jin may never come to us…," he said, scrolling through the numbers.

"Then what do we do: just keep waiting? I'm not going to just sit here much longer, Lee. Hwoarang could be hurt real bad somewhere and dying as far as we know," Steve said, the anger clear in his tone.

"I know," Lee said, pressing a button on his phone and putting it to his ear. He stood up when someone answered and spoke in Japanese.

Steve watched Lee, as he spoke on the phone. He didn't know enough Japanese to understand him. So, he just sat back and listened. It wasn't until Lee shut his phone and sat down that he said anything.

"Who did you call?"

Lee just grinned. "I talked to an old friend of Jun's and asked her if she had seen young Jin around the old town."

Steve sat up. "Yeah?"

Lee nodded. "Yeah, and she has seen him around just the other day, buying a few food supplies. She said she wanted to say hi, but he had a distant look to him and, because of that, she decided not to, figuring he had a lot on his mind. Something along those lines, anyway," he said and shrugged some.

Steve smiled. "So, we do know where Jin is, then?"

Lee nodded. "Yeah, the problem if it's a good idea to bother him or see if he comes to us. I suggest we try and make a plan."

"Yeah, that would be a good idea. Did you try calling Jin on his cell again?" Steve asked, taking a sip of his water.

Lee nodded. "Yes. It's still turned off. It's funny; it's Jin's number but the voice mail was Hwoarang."

Steve laughed. "Oh, yeah? What did he say?"

Lee flipped his phone open again and quickly dialed the number and then handed the phone to Steve. "Listen for yourself."

"All right," Steve said and pressed the phone to his ear, listening.

_Hey, you reached Kazama's phone, but he's not answering right now because he is currently sucking... Oh, snap! Hey, Jin! __**Click**__._

Steve blinked and laughed as he heard it. To be honest, hearing Hwoarang's voice felt good, even if it was just a recording. He sighed and handed Lee back his phone. "That's funny. I'm surprised Jin hasn't noticed this yet."

Lee nodded and took his phone, putting it back on the coffee table. "I know. Then again, I don't think Jin is too good with cell phones or computers or anything like that. So, unless he called his own phone or, if someone said something to him, he wouldn't notice."

"Ah, that would explain it. Plus, Hwoarang is real good at hiding his jokes and pranks so there would be no hint of them, either. And that's just like Hwoarang to do something like that."

Lee nodded again, humming some as he went back into deep thought. He knew they needed to think of some sort of plan to get a hold of Jin. They knew where he was; they just had to get to him.

**~X~**

Jin lay on his mattress in the small hut he was currently living in. Thoughts of Hwoarang ran through his mind as he tried to sleep, and he sighed and rolled to his side. That was when something red caught his eye. On the floor, inches away from the mattress, was his phone.

He stared at it for a moment before reaching out and grabbing it. He sat up and rested his back against the wall and flipped his phone open. He sighed and turned it on; he had turned it off the night he had returned home. He hadn't wanted to speak with anyone and he had wanted to be left alone. Now, however, he wondered if Lee was trying to get a hold of him, or if the other man knew anything about Hwoarang.

His welcome screen blinked and he chuckled at his background picture. "A pepperoni…," he said and noted the messages he had. "Eighty-two. Lee must be worried."

He scrolled through his phone, looking at all the names from his messages. There were a number of them from Lee, Xiaoyu, and Lei. It wasn't until he reached his memos when that he saw the message Hwoarang had saved for him: _Dangsinege banhaetssumnida._

_I still don't know what that means_, he thought to himself, remembering the day Hwoarang had put the message there. He could feel the tears welling up, but he shook them away as he clicked onto the first message on his phone and brought it to his ear.

It took Jin about an hour to listen to all of the messages. It sounded as if everyone was worried and wondering where he was. Lee had also mentioned a few times that there was still no word on Hwoarang.

_We need to find him_, Jin thought to himself, standing to his feet. He made his way over to the front of the hut, opening the door and looking outside. It was raining out. The rain was calm, and Jin thought it looked beautiful. He took a moment to admire the rain before making a decision on what to do.

He stared at the phone in his hand and pressed a button and pressed the phone to his ear. He waited for someone to answer.

**~X~**

Xiaoyu was sleeping when she heard her phone ring. She groaned and felt around for it on her night stand, until she found it and picked it up. "Moshi Moshi… Jin!" Xiaoyu shouted, sitting up her eyes wide. "Wait, what? Jin? Okay… um, I can text it to you, but Jin, wait Jin, no don't… hang up." Xiaoyu sighed, looking at her phone, and she glanced at Panda, who was looking at her with concern.

"Well, it looks like I have some work to do in the morning… oh, but Lee and Steve are across seas…," she said, pressing a finger to her lips. He groaned and dialed Steve's number on her phone.

**~X~**

Steve's phone buzzed in his pocket and Steve frowned, taking it out and answering it. "Hello… Xiaoyu?"

Lee glanced at the blond when he picked up his phone, listening to the one-sided conversation carefully.

"What? Lee, she heard from Jin!" Steve said, standing up as he listened to the girl on the other end.

Lee stood up, followed Steve. This was a breakthrough; finding Jin was good news.

Steve chatted with Xiaoyu a bit more before hanging up and turning to Lee. However, he jumped back when he notice how close the other man was. "Bloody hell! Give a guy a heart attack. She said she doesn't know where Jin is, but she told us to stay where we are and Jin will get a hold of us soon."

Lee nodded and grinned. "Great. So, hopefully, we'll get a call from Jin in a day or two; find out what's going on with him. Perhaps then we all can get together and find Hwoarang."

Steve shook his head. "Yeah, hopefully Jin will know something."

"It's hard to say… but I have a feeling Jin might be up to something."

**~X~**

Hwoarang closed his eyes as the room became quiet, as the man stepped out to take a phone call. _Lee would know who he is. Too bad I won't get to ask… but if I can strike a deal… shit. _"Hey, Sam!" Hwoarang called, coughing some. "Shit," he choked out.

The door to his cell opened again and Sam walked in, an empty pie tray in his hand. "What is it, Hwoarang?"

Hwoarang lifted his head a serious look on his face. "Can I make some kind of deal with you?" _This is my only chance._

Sam raised a brow, folding his arms over his chest and closing the phone. "I'm listening…."

**To Be Continued…**


	3. The Third Party Arrives

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

**

* * *

**

_Chapter Three_

_The Third Party Arrives_

**~x~**

"_No! Jamie!" The redhead watched repeatedly as his boyfriend was shot. The same scene continued to flash in front of his eyes._

The memory flashed once again in Hwoarang's mind, hitting him like a bullet. He had been having the same flashback repeatedly for the last month. It was starting to get to him.

_I know what I saw! I was there; there is no mistake! Then why, why is he here?_

Hwoarang screamed, jerking the chains as he tried to move, struggling to get free. Hot tears ran down his face, and his head lowered as he sobbed, "Why am I being tortured? Why won't they tell me? WHY?" He screamed again.

The door to the cell opened, and bright light from the other room shined in Hwoarang's eyes. He groaned and looked away.

Lord Kaji stood there with a smile on his face. "You look well," he said sarcastically. "How are you today?"

"Fuck you," Hwoarang cursed, struggling in his chains again.

"You are going to kill yourself if you keep struggling like that. You already gave yourself deep gashes in your shoulders and legs," Kaji said, his smiling growling.

"Like I give a fuck. I'd rather die than sit in this crazy shit any more!" Hwoarang cried out.

"I can't have you dying yet, Hwoarang. Not until after you remember and give me the information I want," Kaji said and turned his back to the redhead. "For now, I'll send a nurse in to check on your wounds before you bleed to death," he said and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Hwoarang glared after him, cursing under his breath. He felt he was never getting out of here, unless Sam was going to agree with him, that was. Sam was his last hope.

**~X~**

Lee stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and another one wrapped around his hair. He went into his room, closing the door behind him.

Steve was just getting up for the morning when he heard a loud scream from Lee's room. He tripped over a chair, cursed, and ran out of the room, down the hall to Lee's room. "Oi, mate! What is it?"

Lee stormed out of his room with his robe on, pointing to his head. "This! I swear, when we find that redhead, I'm kicking his ass!"

Steve stared at Lee, his eyes wide, trying to hold back his laughter. "Uh… so… he put dye in one of your extra shampoo bottles?"

"In my conditioner!" Lee shouted, storming back into the bathroom.

"Oh, well. Did he leave a note?" Steve asked, grinning.

"It's in my room, on the dresser," Lee said and closed the bathroom door.

Steve chuckled, going into Lee's room. He glanced around before spotting the note on Lee's dresser and grabbing it.

_Lee,_

_I thought red was more your color. I hope you enjoy. I know I will._

_-Hwoarang_

Steve laughed, wondering how many more of these pranks Hwoarang had planted around. _It's funny that we are finding them now._

**~X~**

Water splashed against the red sneakers with each step their owner made. Jin stayed hidden in the crowd. Dark blue hoody covered his head as he walked, passing people as if he was invisible. He held a suitcase in one hand and his phone in the other.

He stared at the names in his phone book before finding the one he was looking for and clicking on the name, bringing the phone to his ear. He listened to his voice mail. _"326 Main Street, New York City," _the voice said in the message.

Jin rolled the message in his mind a few times, memorizing it. He would have to thank Xiaoyu, once he had the time. For now, he had to rejoin Steve and Lee so they could make some sort of a plan to find Hwoarang. They couldn't sit around and wait any longer. Hwoarang's life was at stake.

He glanced around once more, making sure no one was watching, and dashed off into the dark, blending in with the crowd once more.

**~X~**

Hwoarang had been moved to another room or so he figured: that it was another room. He was lying on a cold steel bed. His vest and jeans had been removed from his person, leaving him in his boxers.

He had been lying there for five minutes already when a nurse walked in. To Hwoarang, she didn't look so much as a nurse as a nurse intern. She was far too young to be a general nurse.

The nurse stared at Hwoarang and then to her clipboard. "This job better be worth it…," she mumbled and tossed the clipboard to the side. She stared at Hwoarang once again, and her hands went to her hips. "All right, what the hell happened to you?"

Hwoarang raised a brow. _Definitely not a nurse. She is probably someone they hired, who has some medical experience._

"Okay, so I'm not an official nurse…," she said and glared when Hwoarang snorted. "But I do know a good lot. When you live in a dojo, you have to. So, let's see what happened…," she said and took a careful look at the cuts on his arm.

Hwoarang watched her, hissing when she touched a peculiar cut. "So, you get hired and don't know crap about your patient?"

"Of course not! Who do you think I am?" she said with a frown, glaring at him. "My father is the one who got me a job, when a friend of his said he was looking for a nurse. So, here I am."

"So, just because your father trusts a guy, you work for him? Strange girl," Hwoarang said with a frown. "Just tell me if my leg is broken."

"Wait a second! You can't tell me what to do! And I am not strange. You're the strange one for doing stupid things," the nurse said, quickly becoming annoyed. Instead of looking at his leg, she took a look at his right eye. "The cut by your eye is infected; I need to take care of that first."

"Look, I rather you just tell me if I can walk and maybe do some kicking. I want to get out of this place," he said, struggling to get out of the straps around his wrists.

"I was told not to let you escape, plus there are two guards out there, just in case you did try. Who are you? Some kind of a criminal?" she said, pushing him down as she worked on fixing his eye.

"No, I'm being held captive, and you will be, too, now that I told you," he said in a serious tone, staring right at the nurse.

The nurse stared back; her brown eyes matched his. She bit onto her lower lip and took a step back. Her eyes traveled down to the cuts and bruises he wore. "I believe you…."

Hwoarang grinned. "Thanks. Now, come on, check on my leg!"

"Right!" she said, gently grasping Hwoarang's left leg, touching at the bruises. "Um, I'll have to take an X-ray. But I don't think it is broken. Try and move it."

Hwoarang lifted his left leg slowly. A small pain in his calf made him hiss, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. "Let me see if I can stand on it…. Help me get out of these straps, will you?"

The nurse frowned, and Hwoarang moved his arms, which were entrapped to the bed. "All right. Just let me finish taking care of your wounds, and then we can break out."

Hwoarang nodded. That was a good idea; he needed some of his wounds cleaned and wrapped up, though he really needed to get out and talk to someone. Something wasn't right; he was missing something. Was he being lied to? That had to be it! It was a lie! But it all felt real, so how could it be a lie?

**~X~**

Lee frowned at the mirror: his silver hair was a light shade of pink. He had managed to wash out most of the red dye Hwoarang had left for him, but now, he was forced to have pink hair. It wasn't too noticeable, but it was annoying, all the same.

"Is it still raining, Steve?" he asked, putting his mirror down on the coffee table.

Steve, who was sitting near the window, nodded. "Yeah, it is. I think it will for the rest of the night."

"I was afraid of that," Lee said, frowning some. He grabbed the newspaper and sat back in his chair. After a few moments of reading and some, there was a loud knock on the door, followed by the crash of thunder.

The two fighters jumped right out of their seats from the sudden noise. They glanced at each other and then at the door. The two got up together, and Steve went to the door. Lee stayed close, ready to strike if needed.

Steve quickly swung the door open, but he stopped in mid-strike when he saw who had been knocking. "Jin!"

"Jin?" Lee asked, making his way over and he, too, stared at Jin in minor shock. "Jin? Shit…."

Jin stared back at the two, pushing his hood back, and his shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry."

**~X~**

Hwoarang watched in shock when his nurse took out both of the bodyguards with a few punches. He whistled and zipped up his vest to his collarbone. "I should have known you could fight," he said as he limped out of the room.

"When you live in a dojo, it's mandatory, right?" the nurse asked, glancing down the hallway. "You ready?"

Hwoarang smirked. "I was born ready!" he said, and the two went into a run. At that point, several other bodyguards charged toward them, and both Hwoarang and the nurse knocked them out. Once again, Hwoarang was impressed by the girl's moves.

"Girly, what's your name?" he asked as he pushed open the first door they saw. The two dashed out, running down another hallway.

"Don't call me girly, and make a left!" she pointed, leading the way. "And my name is Asuka Kazama!"

Hwoarang stopped running, eyes wide, and gaped at her. "What?"

**To Be Continued…**


	4. The Blood Talon Flies Free

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

* * *

_Chapter Four_

_The Blood Talon Flies Free_

**~x~**

"Jin, what? Where the hell have you been?" Lee asked, pushing Steve gently to the side and moving over to his nephew.

"I was just trying to calm down my mind. I felt that I was too dangerous to be around with. I wasn't thinking straight," Jin said, and a look of shame washed over his features.

Lee sighed, gripping Jin's shoulder. "All right, get inside. You're soaked."

"You know, if Hwoarang was here, he would say something like, 'What are you, his mother?'" Steve said, cracking a smile.

Lee chuckled. "Probably. We will talk about him as soon as Jin changes and gets comfortable."

"All right, then. Come on, Jin, I'll show you to your room," Steve said, taking Jin's suitcase and leading him up the stairs.

Lee watched them disappear up the stairs and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "One down, one to go," he said in a low whisper. Now that they had found Jin, maybe they could find a way to get to Hwoarang, too.

**~X~**

"_Kazama?"_ _How does she have that name?_ _Was I locked away that long? Is she Jin's daughter? Was I right to believe that what Jin and I had was not real, and it was another lie? _Hwoarang thought as he stood there, staring at the girl.

"What are you doing? Come on, snap out of it. We need to go!" Asuka said, grabbing Hwoarang by the wrist and pulling him along.

Hwoarang shook his head, knocking himself out his thoughts. "Ahh, right," he said as he followed her, letting her drag him through the hallway. He wasn't quite sure where to go, anyway, and the girl seemed to know where she was going.

It wasn't long after that that Asuka found the exit. "There!" she shouted, pointing to the large door with the exit sign hanging above it. She ran for the exit, pulling Hwoarang behind her, and pushed the door open. A loud bell rang as she did.

On hearing the loud ring, Hwoarang's eyes widened. His mind raced as he tried to think straight. Once they were out in the sunlight, Hwoarang looked around to try and figure out where they were. However, he didn't have a second thought as Asuka continued to pull him along to get them out of there.

"Shit!" Hwoarang cursed, pulling his arm away as he ran along with the girl, limping the whole time. "We are still in Tokyo?"

"Of course we are!" Asuka said, pulling to a stop in an alleyway. "Let's take a quick breather; you're still hurt, you know."

Hwoarang nodded, leaning against a brick wall and taking a moment to straighten his posture. He was hurting all over, but he had no time to worry about that. Once he got his breath back, he peeked out of the alley to get a good look around. "Shit, this is great," he said with a grin.

"What, trying to get away from some weird company that apparently kidnaps people?" Asuka said, clearly annoyed with this whole ordeal.

Hwoarang smirked. "No, I know where we are. Let's go!" he said and dashed out of the alley.

Asuka watched him with shock and ran after him. "Hey, wait. How do you know where we are?" she asked, catching up to the redhead.

"Because—" Hwoarang paused, swallowing hard, as his breathing was heavy from all the running, "—I used to live here in the downtown district and know it like the back of my hand!" He made a sharp turn down another alleyway. "This way!"

It didn't take long before Hwoarang had led Asuka down one more alleyway, and he stopped in front of a large silver door. Hwoarang grinned and started to bang on the door as loud as he could, with the sore arm. "Yo!" he shouted and waited for an answer.

Asuka huffed heavily. "Why the hell did we stop here? It's an old, run-down factory!" she said, and her nose wrinkled in disgust.

Hwoarang ignored her and removed an old red key from the chain on his neck. He slid it into the keyhole and unlocked the door. He then pushed the large metal door open with little difficulty and stepped inside.

Inside, it wasn't as bad as it was outside. It looked like someone lived there. The room Hwoarang went into had a large couch, a coffee table, and a small TV. On the other side, there were several weights and a punching bag. But what Hwoarang did notice was that his bike was parked there, along with his book bag and guitar.

"Score!" Hwoarang said, limping over to his things. "Someone loves me!" he said as he grabbed his bag and sat down on the couch to look through it.

Asuka watched him, a bit confused. She wasn't sure if she liked this place too much. "Please tell me you don't live here…."

"I used to, when I left Korea. Then I met up with my master again and moved in with him," he said, shrugging. He pulled out an envelope from his bag and opened it. His eyes widened when he saw the money in there and pulled out a note.

_Hwoarang, if you ever get this, here is some money. Use it to get a plane ticket and come meet us. To be safe, I won't tell you where we are, but go to Xiaoyu. She will tell you everything._

_Hope to see you soon,_

_Lee_

Hwoarang whistled when he counted the money in the envelope and pocketed it. "All right, I know what I need to do," he said, closing his bag and attaching it to his bike. He then grabbed his guitar and strapped it onto his bike as well. "Hey, open the door up for me, will you? Got to get the bike out of here."

Asuka nodded her head, walking to the door and opening it wide enough for the bike to fit through. She wondered what the redhead was planning and hoped to get out of there right away.

Hwoarang smirked, removing the bike key from the same chain on his neck and starting the bike. He backed it up a few feet and turned it so that it was facing the door. He smirked at Asuka. "Stay here and wait for a guy named Bea to come. Tell him that the Blood Talon was here and asked him to keep you safe; also that I will get a hold of him as soon as I meet up with the others. He'll know what I mean."

"Wait, what? I'm not going with you?"

Hwoarang shook his head and drove out of the building. "No, it's too dangerous. Thanks for everything, girly. I owe you big time. See you!" he shouted to her before disappearing out of sight.

Asuka shouted after him, "HEY! THAT'S NOT FAIR! GET BACK HERE! I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOUR NAME!" It was no use, though: Hwoarang was long gone. Asuka growled and stomped her foot. "That bastard."

"Was that Hwoarang?" Bea asked as he appeared behind Asuka.

Asuka jumped and turned around to see a new face. She bit her lip and sighed. "I guess. Are you Bea?"

He nodded and grinned at her. "Come on in; tell me what's going on."

Asuka sighed, feeling she had no choice but to do just that.

**~X~**

Xiaoyu had just gotten out of the shower and entered her room with only a towel wrapped around her body. She failed to notice the now-open window and the movement in her closet. She hummed softly as she grabbed the pajamas off her bed and started to remove the towel, when someone coughed behind her.

Xiaoyu blinked and turned around and then screamed.

"Shh!" Hwoarang said, grabbing her gently, spinning her around so her back was against his chest and covering her mouth with his hand. "It's me, Hwoarang," he said and slowly removed his hand from her mouth and the other from her waist.

"H-Hwoarang?" Xiaoyu said, turning around to face the redhead once more. "What? I mean, how did you get here?"

Hwoarang sighed as he looked away from her, sitting down on her bed. He covered his face with his hands. "It's a fucking miracle, that's for sure. It's a long story, but I need you to tell me where the guys are. I have to see them…. I have to see Jin."

Xiaoyu grabbed her robe from the back of her desk chair and threw it on, tying it tight in front her. She took a good look at Hwoarang and frowned. "You look horrible, Hwoarang. You should get those cuts fixed before you go back to them."

Hwoarang shook his head and stared at Xiaoyu with a pleading look. "I can't. I have to go right away. I need to get on the next plane that travels tonight. It's too dangerous for me to stay in Tokyo. It's too dangerous for me to be here. Please, just tell me."

Xiaoyu sighed, feeling defeated. She had a feeling that Hwoarang was right, even though the man looked horrible: he was paler than normal, he had definitely lost weight, and he was covered in cuts and bruises from what she could see. "I'll tell you, but you should at least have something to eat and maybe wash up before you go? They may not let you in the airport the way you are now."

Hwoarang sighed, but he nodded. "I'll take a sandwich on the go, and I'll wash my face and brush my hair. Just tell me where the guys are, please."

**~X~**

Lord Kaji sat at his desk, smiling. Sam stood in front of him, looking calm as ever, waiting for his current boss to say something.

"So, he has escaped, then?" Kaji said, leaning back into his chair.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, he left with the nurse you hired. Do you want me to go and look for him? Or do you have a plan?"

Kaji shook his head. "No. Now that I know who he is it, it will be easier to track him down. I do have a small plan and, for now, I am going to let my dear Jae-kwan believe he is safe. I do want him to heal, after all," he said, letting out a low chuckle. "For now, you are free to go. I'll call you when you are needed again, Sam."

Sam nodded and turned to leave. "Fair enough. I'll be waiting," he said, and disappeared out of the door without another word.

**~X~**

Hwoarang watched as his bike was unloaded from the plane. It hadn't been two days since he had talked with Xiaoyu. Now, even more tired and feeling more sore, he couldn't wait to get to the place Lee had rented.

He had made Xiaoyu promise not to tell Lee that he was on his way. He kind of wanted it to be a surprise. That, and he had thought it would be safer. He wasn't sure if someone could be listening in on their phone calls. They had to be safe. He had told Xiaoyu to call Lee in three days to make sure he had made it there in one piece.

On the plane, Hwoarang hadn't been able to stop thinking about seeing Jin again, and if everything that happened during the tournament was real or not. He was afraid it might have been a lie. He needed to know. He knew it would have been better if had he gotten some sleep instead, but he couldn't. His mind wouldn't let him.

Everything that had happened to him was haunting his thoughts. It was troublesome, but Hwoarang was determined to get back to the others. He knew he was only running on pure willpower because his energy had long since disappeared.

As soon as Hwoarang got his bike, he hopped on, started it, and drove off. He was grateful to see with both eyes again, now that the swelling had gone down in his left eye. Now he was able to see where he was going and follow street signs more easily.

After a few hours of driving, Hwoarang found himself in the city. He had to stop for directions several times to figure out where he was going. Normally, Hwoarang would have kept on riding until he would have found the place on his own, but now, he was too tired to do that. Once the man had told him which way to go, it only took Hwoarang fifteen minutes to find the house.

He parked in the back, again, to be safe. He didn't want to be found easily. The redhead was very paranoid over everything, but he couldn't blame himself after what had happened.

With his guitar and bag in hand, he made his way to the front of the house and knocked on the door. After a minute, with no answer, he knocked again. "Yo!" he shouted and waited. After another minute or so, he figured the guys must have gone out.

"Fine, I'll get in myself," he said, dropping his bag to the ground and digging through it. "Ah-ha!" he said and took out an oddly-shaped metal piece he had used for picking locks. Within seconds, the door was open, and Hwoarang went inside after grabbing his bag again. "This little piece always comes in handy," he said, slipping the metal piece back into his bag.

"I wonder where the guys are at four in the afternoon," he mumbled, looking around the place. Dizziness started to overwhelm him, and he leaned against the wall, holding onto his head. _I need to shower and sleep…_,Hwoarang thought to himself, pushing himself away from the wall and making his way toward the stairs. _Maybe after I shower, I'll visit one of the guys' rooms and give them a treat._

Ten minutes later, after Hwoarang had figured out which room was whose; he got into a hot shower. The water strayed down his face; the cut on his eye stung, but it felt good. It helped him relax, but his mind was still going 100 miles per hour.

_What I had with Jin was real, right? He was my lover. He wasn't a lie, was he? How do I know if I was dreaming? What if it was all a dream, maybe all a lie?_

Hwoarang sighed, closing his eyes, and let out a loud groan. Things were so frustrating. A lot of things didn't make sense, and he still didn't know why that man had captured him. _Who was he? He can't be alive. It can't be real. I was there…. I know what happened!_

Hwoarang shook his head and covered his face with his hands. "Relax, Hwoarang. Stop thinking so much," Hwoarang whispered, distracting himself with the soap and starting to wash the filth from his body.

**~X~**

An hour later, Lee, Steve, and Jin came home. Jin and Steve carried grocery bags in their hands. Lee was just about to take out his keys to the house when he noted that the door was opened a crack. His brow furrowed. "Someone broke into the house," he said and pushed the door open the rest of the way.

Steve and Jin glanced at each another and the two followed Lee, running into the house. "Was anything stolen?" Steve asked, handing Jin his bags.

Jin took the four bags into the kitchen, dropping them on top of the table.

"I don't know yet. Look around," said Lee, making his way into the living room and checking out the place.

Steve nodded and went to the hallway, looking inside the closet in case the intruder was hiding in there.

"Hey, can you put this in there?" Hwoarang asked, handing Steve his jean jacket.

"Sure," Steve said, not even noticing Hwoarang as he put the jacket into the closet.

"Thanks," Hwoarang said, walking away unnoticed. He went into the living room, where Lee was checking inside a box to see if the emergency grocery money had been stolen from it. Hwoarang smirked at the pink hair. "Oi, Lee, got a smoke?"

Lee looked up from where he was crouching and his eyes widened at the redhead before him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Hwoarang!"

**To Be Continued…**


	5. The Table Is Full

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

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_Chapter Five_

_The Table Is Full_

**~X~**

Hwoarang waved a hand at Lee, a small smirk forming on his face. "Hey there, handsome. Miss me?"

Steve and Jin then stepped into the room, wondering what Lee was yelling about, until they saw the redhead.

"Hwoarang?" Jin asked, looking at the redhead, not believing he was even there.

Hwoarang turned around to face the other two, with his head tilted to the side, and waved. His shoulders were sagged and his stance uneven. He was favoring his right leg. He looked like a big mess. "Jin, Steve," he said, nodding to them.

"Hwoarang, what on Earth…? How did— What happened to you?" Lee asked, looking over the redhead, noting the bad cuts on his face and the new blood stain on his jeans.

"Wha, Lee, one question at a time," he said turning back to Lee, sighing heavily. "And finish them."

"Right, okay, let's sit down," Lee said, doing just that. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering how Hwoarang had even managed to find them.

Steve sat down right away, too, across from Lee in a chair. His eyes never left the redhead; his thinking was similar to Lee's.

Hwoarang took a seat on the couch, sighing some, and glanced at Jin, who was the only one who seemed calm. He patted the seat next to him with a small grin. "Come on, Kazama, sit or something. You are like a statue."

Jin, like Steve, hadn't taken his eyes off Hwoarang since the moment he had seen him. Though he stayed calm on the outside, his mind was racing with all possibilities as to why Hwoarang was even there. On one hand, it was a relief; on the other hand, he thought it was dangerous. When Hwoarang spoke to him, he snapped out of his thoughts and sat down, but away from the redhead.

He wanted to be sure of everything before he got close to Hwoarang. He and Hwoarang needed a talk before he could trust himself to be close to the redhead. It was something he had decided even before coming back to join Lee and Steve.

Hwoarang frowned as he looked at Jin, a bit disappointed that he hadn't sat by him, but he figured Jin might be in shock. He sighed and shrugged. "What questions?"

"Let's start at the beginning. Hwoarang, what happened to you?" Lee asked, taking out a cigarette. He needed one at the moment, that was for sure.

Hwoarang shrugged again. "I was caught off guard and attacked from behind. Some guy named Sam captured me and brought me to this weird place back in Tokyo."

"So you were in Tokyo this whole time. How did you get out?" asked Steve.

"That…. I still don't believe I am out," Hwoarang said, rubbing his eyes. "Shit, but some girl helped me out. Asuka Kazama, know her?" he asked Jin.

Jin shook his head. "No, do you?" he asked Lee in turn.

Lee frowned. "Perhaps she is the daughter of your mother's brother, Jin. That's all I can guess. How did she help you?" Lee said, turning his attention back to Hwoarang.

"Well, they brought her in as a nurse; someone good enough to treat my wounds. For some reason, they wanted me at full health. I told her what was going on and she believed me, so I left her at the old gang hideout, and off I went to find the pest," Hwoarang explained.

Lee's brow furrowed as he listened. Some of it didn't make sense to him, but he figured things would clear up later when they would receive more information. "Do you know why you were captured?"

Hwoarang shook his head. "No... I still don't know why. He never told me."

"Who? You said a guy named Sam captured you. He was working for someone else, then?" asked Steve.

Hwoarang went quiet and bit his lip. "Yeah, _he_ paid him. Everyone there was under _his_ command," Hwoarang spoke slowly, almost as if in a trance. He gripped the edge of the couch as the man's face flashed through his mind.

Lee, Steve, and Jin exchanged worried looks and then turned to Hwoarang again. Lee got up and sat next to Hwoarang, hastily touching the man's shoulder. "Hwoarang?" he said softly to get Hwoarang's attention.

Hwoarang had turned to Lee, eyes wide as if the man had startled him. "Ah, what is it, Lee?"

Lee frowned with worry and dropped his hand from Hwoarang's shoulder. There was still another question floating in the air that needed to be answered. "Who was the guy, Hwoarang? Who hired this Sam?"

Hwoarang looked away, eyes focused on the coffee table like there was something interesting on it. "It was…," he paused, closing his eyes, and once more, the man's face flashed through his mind. "It was _him_,but it couldn't be. He's supposed to be dead, right? I was there; I saw it happen. So it couldn't be him; he is dead." Hwoarang held onto his head, pulling lightly onto his hair.

Lee was taken back by the reaction and he touched Hwoarang's back. "Hey, Hwoarang, what was his name? Who is he?"

"I don't know— I can't say. It can't be real— It can't be real. I won't say it; I can't say it!" he yelled, rocking back and forth, eyes closed.

Steve, Lee, and Jin didn't know what to say or do at that moment. None of them had seen Hwoarang freak out so badly before. It was out of the redhead's character.

Jin stood up and crossed the room to Hwoarang, kneeling in front of him. He reached up and grabbed Hwoarang's wrist and pulled Hwoarang's hand away from his head. "Hwoarang, come on, you don't need to tell us. Forget about it for now," he said smoothly, trying to get the redhead's attention.

Hwoarang opened his eyes and stared at Jin, a bit confused. "Ah, okay… right," he said, pulling his wrist away from the other's hold. "I want to sleep."

Lee stood to his feet and pulled out his cell phone. "That's a good idea. You look unwell. I'm going to call a personal doctor to look at your wounds while you rest. Jin, why don't you take him upstairs? Take a look at his leg; he's bleeding through his pants there," he said as he walked out of the room with phone pressed to his ear. He was worried for the redhead, knowing that something must have happened to freak him out.

Jin nodded, helping Hwoarang stand to his feet. Hwoarang was a bit unstable when he stood, and Jin gripped his waist. "Come on."

Hwoarang grunted as he looped his arm around Jin's waist, too. He felt so tired from the whole thing he couldn't wait to just lie down and get some sleep. He wanted to talk to Jin about everything, too. He had a feeling that was going to have to wait.

"Jin," he said, gripping the back of his lover's shirt.

Jin glanced down at Hwoarang. "Hm?"

"I don't think I can make it up stairs…," he said. His knees buckled, and everything blacked out.

Jin's eyes widened and he grabbed Hwoarang before he could hit the floor, lifting him up by the waist. "Hwoarang?" he said, running a hand through the redhead's hair, full of concern. He closed his eyes and cursed, picking Hwoarang up in his arms, and carried him up the stairs.

Steve watched from where he was sitting, sighing heavily. Things really didn't look too good for Hwoarang. As he sat back in the chair, he pulled on a string, making something pop as a paint bucket poured onto his head. "Hwoarang, bloody hell!"

**To Be Continued…**


	6. Deep Thoughts

**A/N: I know this chapter is late, and I am sorry. I keep having computer problems, which back up ****my writing. So, here it is, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

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Chapter 6

Deep Thoughts

~**X**~

Jin sat at the edge of Hwoarang's bed, elbows on his knees and face in hands. He was glad Hwoarang had managed to escape, but something seemed to be wrong. Hwoarang hadn't seemed like himself at all when he had been explaining what had happened downstairs.

Hwoarang hadn't been gone for long. It had seemed like it, but it had been just over a month. And in that little time, Hwoarang had seemed to become unstable. It was as if whatever had happened to him had really shaken him up. Jin hadn't even recognized Hwoarang downstairs. It was like looking at a china doll.

_Almost as if he has lost his soul,_ Jin thought to himself, turning to look at the redhead. He shook his head and stood to his feet, stepping out of the room. In the hallway, he bumped into Lee, stopping in front of the older man.

"I called a personal doctor to come over and see Hwoarang, look over some of those cuts he has. He'll be here soon. I wanted to let you know," Lee said softly.

Jin nodded. "Ah, I was just going to get the first aid kit and fix the ones on his face," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "That's good, that you called. Thanks."

Lee shrugged. "It's not a problem. Besides, there is no first aid kit. Hwoarang set a booby trap and Steve had to toss away a few of his shirts," he said and huffed. "Hwoarang left 'tricks' all over our things, back from Japan. It has been scary."

Jin didn't know what to say to that and just nodded, heading to the bathroom without another word.

~**X**~

The doctor Lee had hired had left, and Hwoarang lay awake in his room. He was alone and he was glad for it. He didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment. He still felt very tired and sore from everything that had taken place. Now, finally resting in a warm bed, it felt like a dream.

_What if it was a dream? _he asked himself, carefully turning on his side so he was facing the wall. He pulled the covers up higher so only the tip of his head showed and he curled up. _It wouldn't be a dream; it would just be more torture. That's what he likes to do: mess with my mind._

Hwoarang sighed and closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep. As soon as he did, Kaji's face flashed before his eyes. He gasped and sat up, eyes wide with fright. He pressed a hand to his forehead and lightly shook his head. _Why is this happening to me? Why am I being tortured like this? _he thought to himself.

He glanced around the room and pulled his knees close to his chest. He was physically free, but he felt mentally as if he was still trapped in that man's clutches. _I shouldn't be thinking like this! I should be happy to be out of there._

Just then there was a knock on the door and Hwoarang jumped out of his skin. He glanced at it and laid himself down again. "What?" he answered.

The door opened and Steve stepped in. He smiled and waved at Hwoarang. "Hay, Lee wanted to know if you are hungry."

"What are we having?"

"Well, we're not sure yet. You in the mood for anything particular?"

Hwoarang shook his head. "Not really," he said poking at the cotton blue blanket. "Maybe just something light, like soup or something later. I'm not all that hungry right now. I could use some juice though; I'm sick of water."

"Sure, what kind?"

"Apple, grape, or orange is fine."

"All right, mate, be right back, then," Steve said and left the room, leaving the door slightly open. He quickly made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen, where Jin and Lee were sitting quietly.

Lee looked up when he saw Steve enter. "Is he hungry?"

Steve shook his head. "He said he'd want soup later, though. For now, he just wants some juice," he answered as he fetched a clean glass and took the apple juice from the fridge. He poured a tall glass and added a straw with it.

"I figured as much. He probably wants to just sleep for a while. He looks too drawn out," Lee said, frowning and looking at Jin. "You going to try and talk to him again tonight?"

Jin shook his head. "I'm going to give him a couple days. Let him clear his head a bit. I don't think he'll be up to it tonight."

"That's a good idea," Lee said and turned to Steve. "Go ahead and bring the juice to him. Let him know we'll bring up some soup later."

Steve nodded and left the kitchen.

Jin brushed his bangs from his eyes and looked at Lee. "He definitely needs some time to think. Just by talking to him before, he didn't seem himself."

"Yeah, I know. I noticed it, too. It shows in his eyes. To be honest, I think he might be frightened of it all. Who wouldn't be, though?"

Jin nodded, agreeing with Lee. He turned to his empty glass in front of him, letting out a soft sigh. He knew he would have been afraid, too, if he had been in Hwoarang's shoes. Though he had his own problems to worry about as well. The beast trapped inside of him still wanted out. _How am I going to help Hwoarang when I still need to help myself? _he thought to himself.

He stood up and pushed his chair in. He then put his glass in the sink. "I'm going to go and read for a while. I want to try and get my mind off this for a bit," he said and left the room.

Lee sat there alone and nodded to Jin, even though the man had already walked out. _It looks like Steve and I will have to be the level heads around here for a while. That, or we'll all go insane in the end._

Lee stared out the window and watched as a lonely leaf fell from the tree falling toward the ground, only for the wind to pick it up and blow it away. It oddly reminded him of Hwoarang.

_But he's still falling… waiting for that breeze._

**To Be Continued…**


	7. A Good Day

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

**Chapter 7**

A Good Day

~**X**~

After a couple of days of rest, Hwoarang decided it was time to get out of bed and try to live again. His muscles were sore, and he knew a little bit of training would fix that. He was more worried about other things than his muscles. He wanted to talk to Jin.

Things between them seemed off; then again, for the last two days, he hadn't been himself. In truth, Hwoarang wasn't sure when he would be himself again. He could pretend the part, but that didn't mean it was true. He didn't have the spirit for it anymore, but who would have if they had had to go through what he had: look into the eyes of someone who was supposed to be dead.

Hwoarang shook his head and got out of bed. Quietly, he stepped out of the room and into the bathroom. He definitely needed a shower and he was sure some of his bandages needed to be cleaned or taken off.

Opening the bathroom door, he could hear voices from downstairs. Lee and Steve were already awake. He had left Jin asleep in their room. They had the same room, but they did not share a bed. It was a bit of a disappointment to Hwoarang.

He stepped onto the cold tiles of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He removed his shirt and tossed it on the floor and then looked at himself in the mirror. He looked horrible: dark circles hid under his eyes, and his hair needed to be dyed. "Me saying it's natural is out of the question," he mumbled, holding a few brownish red strands in his hand. His hair was also a lot longer than it had been and now went past his shoulder blades. He was pale, and he figured that was from not getting enough sunlight in the last month or so.

Hwoarang touched his cheek where the Band Aid sat. Carefully he removed it and tossed it away. The cut was healing nicely, which he was glad for. "I'm a mess," he said and turned to the bathtub. He turned on the faucet, setting it for the shower. Waiting for the water to heat up, he removed the remainder of his clothes and the bandages around his upper torso, arms, and right leg.

Every cut or bruise on his body was either beginning to heal or was stitched. He couldn't do much for the cracked rib he had but take it easy, but it wasn't like he hadn't broken a bone before.

Deciding not to worry about if for now, Hwoarang stepped into the shower, letting out a loud hiss from when the hot water hit some of his open wounds. The shower felt good and quickly relaxed him. He tilted his head back and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. It felt more than good, and right now, he was willing to forget everything and take a moment to relax.

~**X**~

In the kitchen, Lee and Steve were talking quietly when Jin walked in. He was still in his pajamas and had a bed head. Lee turned to him and frowned.

"No shower?"

"I thought one of you was in there. The door's locked and the water is on," the brunet said as he grabbed himself a glass of orange juice and sat down. "Must be Hwoarang. I didn't even notice when he left."

"It's odd, though; he hasn't done much in the last two days, and he usually takes his bath at night. Wonder what changed," Steve said absent-mindedly.

Jin glanced at Steve, wondering just how he knew when Hwoarang took his baths. He was just going to ask it when the redhead stepped in and spoke before him.

"Shut up, Steve, you don't know shit," he said in a serious tone, but the slight smirk on his face said otherwise. He looked at Lee and reached out his hand, wiggling his fingers.

Lee wasn't all that surprised to see Hwoarang up and about; he had known that the redhead would be up eventually. What got him puzzled was Hwoarang wiggling his fingers in his face. "What?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Give me money, I need to shop," Hwoarang said casually and continued to wiggle his fingers. His other hand was clinging to a towel low on his waist, and a second towel lay on his head. He was still dripping wet from his shower, but he didn't seem to care.

"What? For one, why should I? And two, are you even in the condition to go out?" Lee asked, pushing his hand away.

Hwoarang wrinkled his nose. "Don't worry. I'm going to take your rental car, too. So… give me money, please?" he asked again, holding out his hand once more.

"What? No!"

"Uh, yes, fine. I'll walk around naked, then," he said and dropped his towel from his waist to prove that he was not afraid to do just that.

Jin and Steve both stared at Hwoarang before looking away, Steve holding back a laugh, while Jin blushed. Lee, on the other hand, looked very irritated at the redhead standing in front of him.

"Look, I'll take Kazama with me! Give me money or consider your hair a brighter shade of pink," he said, unfazed by the reactions of others.

Lee closed his eyes and handed him a credit card. "Put it away, just put it away!"

Hwoarang snatched the card with a wide grin on his face and looked at it. "Nice," he said and grabbed his towel from the floor, though he draped it over his shoulder instead of covering himself with it, and grinned. He waved a hand and walked out of the room, very pleased at his actions.

Lee covered his face with his hands and groaned loudly, sitting back in his chair. "He was put on this Earth to irritate me! I swear!"

Steve laughed. "Admit it, mate: it's good to see him like that! He was so depressed the last two days it was like we had entered a dark world."

Jin was still blushing a deep red. Hwoarang really was a very proud man to show off like that. However, he would be lying if he said that he didn't feel a little turned on by Hwoarang. Though bruised and cut, the other man was still very attractive. He was also glad to hear Hwoarang inviting him to go shopping later. He truly hoped that was a good sign.

~**X**~

Upstairs, Hwoarang was in his room and leaning against the door. His eyes were closed and his head was tilted back. He took a deep breath. He was in slight pain, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. By the end of the day, he knew it would tire him out, but right now, it was nothing a few pain killers wouldn't handle.

Feeling the pain ebb away, Hwoarang moved from the door and tossed both towels on the bed. He was glad Steve had gathered some of his things from Japan. Not a lot, but the most important things: his taekwondo uniform, his guitar, and two sets of pants. He couldn't blame the man for not getting everything: there had been too much, but he needed more clothes to go by and a few other important things. "Like a toothbrush," he mumbled.

"And underwear. Looks like I'm going commando!" he said and snickered. He was trying his hardest to keep his spirits up and his mind off from everything that had happened. So far, he was doing okay, but knew that at some point it was all going to come back to him and he was going to be stuck in the dark once again.

He found that it was easier in the day to not think about it. In the day, people were around and often talked to him. At night, even though Jin was in the bed next to him, he couldn't help but feel alone and like if he was back in his cell. He was hoping to get closer to Jin again, and then, at night, maybe he could have his warmth and feel better completely. Right now, his smile was just a mask, something he wore to hide his real face, his sorrow.

Shaking his head from the dark thoughts, Hwoarang grabbed a pair of jeans from the small duffel bag Steve had made for him. He quickly put them on and buttoned them up. They were a bit big on him by an inch or two. He knew he must have lost weight from the last month; he just hadn't thought it would be this much. "Well, shit," he mumbled and frowned at the lack of a belt.

Thinking a moment, Hwoarang stepped out of his room and disappeared into Lee's. He went right to the man's bedside, where a rack of belts hung on the wall. He picked one out and strapped it on his waist. "Lee is so kind to be lending me things!" he said and quickly left the room and went back into his own.

"Now a shirt," he said and grabbed one of Jin's and slid it on. He looked himself over in the dresser mirror and found himself almost satisfied. He did not like how his hair was two-toned, dark brown on top and a bright red on the ends. He didn't mind the length too much; it was layered. Most of his bangs had grown out and were down to his neck, while the back of his hair was now past his shoulders. Parts of his bangs still danced in front of his eyes. He didn't mind it, really; it was the color that was really bothering him.

"I might as well keep it long for now. I can hide my face better," he said, touching his cheek. It wasn't that he wanted to hide his face, but he figured it would be helpful, being a wanted man and all.

Grabbing an old rubber band from his duffel bag, he quickly slipped his hair into a ponytail, with most of his bangs hanging loose. He also found an old baseball cap and slid it on. Satisfied, he once again left the room and went downstairs, only after he had grabbed Lee's credit card and pocketed it.

Back downstairs, he entered the kitchen and stole someone's toast that had popped out from the toaster and smothered it with apple jam. He took a bite and looked at Lee and Steve, who were watching him. "Jin in the shower?"

"That was mine," Lee said, feeling more irritation about the day setting in and thinking that it was only the morning. "Yes, he is."

"What's with the hat? Trying to stay hidden?" asked Steve.

"Yeah, that's why," Hwoarang said, looking in the fridge, and grabbed a milk carton, opening it. Just as he was about to bring it to his lips, Lee spoke.

"Don't even think about it! Use a glass," the older man said. He didn't even have to turn around to know what Hwoarang was about to do.

"Yes, mom!" Hwoarang grumbled, grabbing a clean class and pouring some milk into it. He set the glass in the fridge and drank from the milk carton instead. When the milk was gone, he gave Lee a satisfied smirk. That, however, earned him a punch in the arm.

"It was worth it!" Hwoarang said and took another bite of the toast he had stolen, grinning. _I need to hurt Steve later for teaching him that jab_, he thought to himself, forcing the darker thought to the back of his mind. He was determined to have a good day. He _needed _to have a good day.

~**X**~

It was awkward. That much was clear the moment they got in the car. Hwoarang was also nervous, and it made everything feel worse. It wasn't as if he didn't want to spend this time with Jin; it was just that it was like starting a whole new relationship, and this was their first date. It helped that he wasn't the one driving. Though he would have been better at it, he knew that he might not be ready mentally, so had asked Jin to drive instead.

Feeling that someone had to break the tension, Hwoarang coughed and then spoke, "Why can't I drive again?"

Jin jumped at hearing Hwoarang's voice and glanced him before looking back at the road again. "He doesn't want you crashing the rental car."

Hwoarang chuckled. "He knows me," he said and pointed to the upcoming clothing store. "Let's go there."

"That's an elder women's clothes department," Jin said, driving by it.

"What?" Hwoarang said and glanced at the name of the shop again. "Women's comfort clothes for those cold nights and long winters. Well, shit, at least they would be comfortable. Okay, keep going then," he said, huffing a bit.

"I'm sorry, Hwoarang, I'm not that good with the streets here," Jin said and made a right turn. "There is a mall we can go to. It's pretty big so I'm sure you will find what you need there," he said, scanning for the place.

Hwoarang nodded and looked around. "Is it that big place there? Macy's?" he asked, reading the sign and pointing to the large building with a red star in front of it. "Go to the parking hall. I don't think we'll find a parking place outside of it."

Jin nodded as he drove to the parking hall. He drove around until he finally found a free spot near the elevator. The two got out quickly and Jin locked the doors, letting Hwoarang lead the way.

As they got into the elevator, Hwoarang pressed the button for the third floor. He flashed Jin a smile and casually leaned against the back wall. His leg was killing him from sitting in the car for so long, but again, he was just going to ignore it. For now, he wanted to focus on Jin.

He reached out a gentle hand and touched Jin's arm. He watched the brunet carefully for his reaction.

When Hwoarang touched his arm, Jin looked at him and returned the smile. He took a small step so he was closer to the redhead. He knew the touch was an invitation to be close, and he accepted it wholeheartedly. He reached up and traced the cut under Hwoarang's eye with his finger. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Hwoarang said in a low voice, leaning closer to Jin. This was what he needed. He needed Jin's comfort. No, he wanted Jin's comfort. He wanted Jin. "A little sore."

"That's to be expected," Jin said and turned to the elevator doors when they opened. He gently took Hwoarang by the arm and helped him out. He noticed how the redhead was standing so that he favored his left leg.

"Thanks," Hwoarang said. Once in the bright light of the mall, he winced and brought his hat closer to his eyes. Very bright lights bothered him still; the doctor had said that it could take a while before he got used to them again. After all, he had spent over a month in a dark room. "I should get sunglasses," he mumbled.

Jin moved his hand from Hwoarang's arm to the middle of his back. "We'll pick some up later or ask Lee if he can get an eye doctor to check out your eyes. For now, let's find a clothing store."

"For men," Hwoarang snorted and allowed Jin to lead. _I do like it when he leads... _He grinned.

~**X**~

As the day progressed, Hwoarang found it easier to enjoy himself. Looking at Jin, he could tell the other man was having fun, too. Not to mention, the man had been flirtatious ever since they had gotten off the elevator. Anyone else looking at them would just think they were good friends having a good time, but Hwoarang, it was so much more.

Every touch Jin gave him that day wasn't just a hand on the shoulder or on the back; it was much more. It was intimate and it thrilled Hwoarang to a high degree. The car ride home was even more enjoyable: Hwoarang was looking out the window as his hand rested over Jin's hand, which was resting on his thigh. Only on occasion did the other man have to use both hands to steer; otherwise, he did fine with one hand.

When they finally got home, Jin grabbed Hwoarang's bags for him. Hwoarang smiled. "Awh, how sweet! My boyfriend is carrying my bags for me!" he said cheerfully and limped to the door.

Jin chuckled. He knew Hwoarang was joking, but it was nice to be called "boyfriend." The whole day Hwoarang had been showing good signs. _I just wonder if it's too soon to talk to him_, he thought to himself, watching Hwoarang enter the house and leave the door open for him. _I guess I'll just have to wait and see._

Little did he know that Hwoarang was far from ready to talk about it. If it was up to him, he'd never talk about what happened, though something told him he was going to have to, and he knew he wasn't going like that particular conversation.

**To Be Continued…**


	8. Nightmares

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**A/N 2: Sorry for another short chapter, but I enjoyed how I wrote the ending of it, and so I cut it. Thanks for reviewing, everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

**

* * *

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**Chapter 8**

**Nightmares**

~**X**~

Night had fallen too quickly for Hwoarang's liking. He was resting on the couch, his body turned so he was looking out the window. He could hear Lee and Steve bicker in the kitchen on what to have for dinner. Jin was sitting on the floor by his feet, reading a book.

Hwoarang glanced at Jin and leaned over, gently taking the book from his hands. "What is this?" he asked, looking at the kanji with a wrinkled nose. "I bet it's a dirty book," he said with a smirk.

"It's a mystery," Jin said and took his book back, standing to his feet and moving to the chair.

"A mystery on how the male groin works!" Hwoarang teased playfully and sighed softly. "Or maybe the mystery of oral fixation and the need to suck on things!"

"It is not, Hwoarang. It's a murder mystery. It is good. I can find a translated issue if you would like to read it?" Jin said, placing his bookmark in the page and laying the book down on the coffee table.

Hwoarang shook his head and, once again, stared out the window. _No, Jin. I already feel as if my life is a murder mystery; I don't need to read one,_ he thought to himself and sighed sadly.

Jin watched Hwoarang and frowned. He thought about talking to Hwoarang about everything then, but then he thought against it. He figured it would be best to wait until the other two were in bed.

~**X**~

"Good night, Jin. Hwoarang, I mean it: if I wake up in the morning with some sort of trap or one of your gags, I'll put you back in bed rest for another week," Lee warned and turned on his heel.

"Okay. Night, sweetie," Hwoarang joked, laughing at the look the older man gave him. "Relax! I don't mean those words!" he said and hurried off into his own bedroom.

Jin followed him, ignoring the devil the entire time. He needed to be in his right mind when talking to Hwoarang. Hwoarang was going to need his full support, and he could not be distracted by dark thoughts.

As he entered the room, he noticed that Hwoarang was already sitting on his bed, waiting for him. He closed the door and made his way over, sitting on his own bed and giving the redhead a thorough, full look. "You up to talking tonight?"

Hwoarang nodded, but he didn't meet Jin's eyes. He really didn't want to talk about the last two months, but he knew that eventually he would have to. "Best to get it over with. What do you want to know?"

"Well, where did they take you? Do you know?"

Hwoarang sighed. "Not really. I can only assume it was some warehouse in Tokyo. The female Kazama was the one who helped me escape."

"My cousin, I am assuming. I know I have no sister, and I remember my mother mentioning a brother," Jin said softly. "Why was she there, anyway?"

"She said something about being a part-time nurse, that her dad got her the job. That's all I know," he said, chuckling. "And before you ask, I am still confused why they wanted to nurse my wounds when they, um, you know," he said, looking over at Jin, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before looking away again.

Jin seemed to understand and nodded, not commenting further. It was clear what had happened to Hwoarang: he had been beaten and treated rotten. "Maybe they didn't want you to die. You had some really bad injuries, a few of them infected."

Hwoarang shrugged. "Yeah, why they would want me alive is beyond me. I'm guessing that was going to be your next question?"

Jin nodded, sighing heavily. "Yeah, it was. So, you know nothing of why they captured you and held you hostage?"

Hwoarang shook his head. "Just that it has to do with something from my damn past, and I have no idea what and don't remember a damn thing. They insisted that I knew something, and I can promise you right now I don't," Hwoarang said, standing to his feet. He stepped away from the beds and ran a hand through his hair, pushing back his bangs. "He— he said I would figure it out," he added after grabbing a smoke.

Jin watched him get up and move to the window and open it to let some air in. After Hwoarang spoke again, he frowned. "Who said?"

"The 'boss.' The man who ordered the kidnapping," Hwoarang said, taking a deep drag of his cigarette. He crushed it in the ashtray, as it was not helping him. His mind was swimming with all sorts of dark thoughts. The man's face once again flashed before his eyes. He cursed and sat back on the bed, sitting near the window.

Jin watched him carefully and sat next to him, placing a gentle hand to his shoulder. This was an answer he had to get from Hwoarang, and he waited a moment to allow him to relax. "Are you okay?" he said, his voice soft.

Hwoarang nodded.

"Are you ready to continue?"

Hwoarang nodded again.

"All right," Jin said, rubbing Hwoarang's back. "Do you know who the boss was?"

"The boss?" Hwoarang repeated, turning to Jin, meeting his eyes. He swallowed as he thought about it and nodded. "I know... I should know who he is. It's just— it can't be. It has to be a lie," he said. His eyes went wide, and he was lost in thought.

"Hwoarang, who are you talking about?" Jin asked, watching the redhead carefully.

Hwoarang shook his head and brought his hands to his head and pulled at his hair. "He's dead. I know; I was there when he died," he said, his body shaking. "If it's him, why? Why would he do that? It can't be him. If it's not him, then I don't know who it is, but I will always know that face!" As Hwoarang continued to speak, he began to rock back and forth.

"Hwoarang!" Jin said, grabbing his shoulders to get Hwoarang's attention again. "Snap out of it! Hwoarang!"

"He's dead, I know he is dead. I watched him die! I saw it all. I know that he is, but no! It can't be. Why would he?" Hwoarang yelled, pulling at his hair as he rocked back and forth.

At this point, Jin wasn't sure what to do. He had repeated Hwoarang's name and shaken him lightly, trying to get his attention, but nothing was working. He didn't even notice when Lee and Steve ran into the room. "Hwoarang!"

Lee rushed over first, moving Jin out of the way, taking over. "Hwoarang!" he shouted louder, giving Hwoarang a harder shake to the shoulders, hoping it would work.

Hwoarang's head shook from the impact, while his other hand slid to his lap. He looked at Lee, shocked. "Thanks."

Lee nodded, standing straight and sitting down on Jin's bed, across from Hwoarang. He glanced at Jin and Steve. "Please leave," he said in a stern tone.

Steve quickly obliged, while Jin stood there, staring at Hwoarang, wondering why he hadn't been able to get through to him.

"Jin, coming?" Steve asked, holding the door open for the other man.

Jin nodded and left without a word, deciding not to worry about it right now. There were more important things that needed to be taken care of first.

Once Jin and Steve were out of the room, Lee turned his full attention to the redhead across from him. "All right, Hwoarang, whom did you watch die when you were younger?"

Hwoarang lifted his head, staring at Lee, a bit surprised at the question, but oddly, he found it easier than the previous ones. "The only one I remember seeing die before my eyes was Jamie."

**To Be Continued…**


	9. A Box of Lemons?

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

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**Chapter 9**

**A Box of Lemons?**

~**X**~

Jin sat down in the kitchen after Lee had asked him to step out, a glass of water in his hand. He was confused. _Why couldn't I snap Hwoarang out of that panic moment? _he thought, feeling angry with himself that he hadn't been able to comfort Hwoarang. _He needed me, and I failed. I keep failing him! _"Shit," he cursed and held onto his head.

"_**Just goes to show how pathetic you are."**_

"Shut up," Jin growled, trying to push the devil away, a deep growl coming from deep within his throat.

"_**It's the truth. If I am wrong, why don't you kill him?"**_

"Shut up!" Jin barked and stood up, holding his head.

"Bloody hell, Jin, are you all right?" Steve said, resting one hand on to his chest. He had just walked into the room when Jin had burst out, and it had scared the crap out of him.

Jin sighed and lowered his hands from his head. "Sorry," he said softly and sat back down. "I am just a bit stressed. Worried."

Steve nodded and took a seat across from Jin. "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's not like Hwoarang to freak out like he did. Maybe Lee can talk some sense into him."

Jin nodded, but didn't say anything. He hoped that Steve was right and he hoped that Lee could talk to Hwoarang. He was failing miserably. He wasn't sure if Hwoarang just needed more time, or if they just weren't close enough yet. It was all confusing, and the dark power in his mind wasn't making it easier. _Maybe I just need to sleep_, he thought to himself. _Things will work out soon. I am overreacting._

"Things will be all right," Jin said out loud. He said it more to himself than to Steve, but he was glad to see the other man agree with him.

"They will be, soon enough."

~**X**~

Lee gently rubbed the redhead's back, giving him a bit of comfort, as he cried on his shoulder. Though he had gotten some answers and learned a few things, it all still didn't make sense. However, with some of the things he had learned, he could now do some digging of his own. Then maybe they would get somewhere.

For now, Lee knew to keep on the low side to allow Hwoarang a little more time to heal. He wasn't sure how much time they had, but looking at the redhead, time didn't seem to matter. He needed to rest and clear his mind. Even if the four of them had to keep Hwoarang from going in the public, Lee was determined to give Hwoarang the time he needed.

Hwoarang coughed and rubbed his face with his hands; he was flushed from having just cried in front of Lee. The conversation had brought up so many painful memories he hadn't been able to help it. The tears had happened so fast he hadn't been able to stop himself the second he had started. A part of him wished it was Jin there giving him the comfort, and another part of him was glad it wasn't.

It wasn't an easy thing to do, cry in front of someone, especially another man. Hwoarang felt a bit embarrassed by the fact, but looking at Lee, he could tell that the older man understood. "Thanks," he mumbled, looking away, drying his tear-streaked face with his sleeve.

Lee shook his head. "It's all right. Do you want to talk more or sleep now?"

"No more talking. I can't handle any more, not tonight. I just want to sleep," Hwoarang said and plopped himself onto his pillow. "Please," he said, feeling as if he needed permission.

Lee nodded and stood up. "Yeah, of course. I'll send Jin back in," he said and tossed the blanket on Hwoarang's back. He then turned and stepped out of the room, saying a quick goodnight as he left.

A few minutes later, Jin came in, a deep frown on his face. Lee hadn't said anything about the conversation; he had only told him to let Hwoarang rest for the night. He supposed he could understand why, but at the same time, he wanted to know what was going on and what had been said.

He sighed and looked at Hwoarang as he lay there, curled up on his bed. He looked so worn out and fragile that it tugged at Jin's heart. Now he knew why Lee had said what he had. It wouldn't have been right to ask Hwoarang questions now. He was mentally drained.

Jin closed the door and turned off the lights, making his way over to his bed, stopping by Hwoarang's bed to close the window. A hand grabbed his shirt from the back. He stopped and turned to Hwoarang. Though he couldn't see, he could feel Hwoarang's eyes on him, and it gave him shivers up his spine. "You all right?" he asked in a soft voice.

"Yeah, sure. Do me a favor and sleep with me?" Hwoarang mumbled, his voice hoarse.

"Yeah," Jin said, and he couldn't have said no even if he had wanted to. Taking it easy, he felt for Hwoarang's bed and listened as the redhead moved over to give him room. Jin slid under the covers and held out his hand. Hwoarang took it and slid over, resting his head on his shoulder and wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Night," Hwoarang said, closing his eyes.

"Good night," Jin said in return, holding Hwoarang close to him, hoping that it would help in some sort of a way.

~**X**~

Later in the night and early in the morning, Hwoarang woke up from another nightmare. He held onto his head and got out of bed. Quickly, he made his way to the bathroom. He felt sick, and the need to throw up was strong. As soon as he entered the bathroom, he did just that.

In a matter of minutes, everything he had eaten the night before was gone, leaving his stomach empty, but him feeling better. He still felt dizzy, however, and he sat on the cold tile floor, waiting for the spinning to go away. Once it did, he eased himself up and made it to the sink.

"Just what I need: to be sick," he mumbled, turning the water on. He splashed the cold water onto his face, hoping to relax himself some. He then rinsed his mouth out with mouthwash.

His body felt warm, and he had the feeling it was the beginning of a fever. _Maybe a cool bath will help, _he decided and began to run lukewarm water in the tub. He waited until it was full before removing his clothes and sliding in.

The water felt good against his hot skin, and he allowed himself to relax. He decided to forget about what had happened only a few hours ago and think about the day ahead of him. Even as he tried, his mind continued to reel back to everything that had happened to him in the past few weeks.

~**X**~

That morning, Lee woke up tired and with the need for a shower. He entered the bathroom quickly enough and noticed with annoyance some clothes on the bathroom floor. "Damn Hwoarang," he said, picking them up and tossing them in the hamper.

"What?" the redhead answered from the other side of the bath curtain.

Lee jumped in surprise and glared at the shower curtain. "If you are using the bathroom, you should lock the door."

"You should knock, you rude bastard," Hwoarang said, but there was no real anger in his tone.

Lee sighed and decided not to argue; he could never win with Hwoarang. "Are you going to be long?"

"Actually, I'm pretty cold, so no, I'll get out now. Can you leave?" he asked as the water splashed about.

"Yeah, how long have you been in there?" Lee asked, curious.

"About an hour or two… I didn't feel good," Hwoarang said, opening the curtain so his head showed and he looked up at Lee.

"Are you trying to kill yourself? That's fucking nuts!" Lee said and took a look at Hwoarang. "Your lips are even turning blue!"

"No, I had a fever and the water helped. Relax, will you, and get me a towel? I forgot one," Hwoarang said calmly.

Lee shook his head and stepped out of the bathroom, bumping into Jin on the way. "Help him out of the tub while I get something warm for him. He's an idiot!"

Jin frowned, a bit confused at Lee's words until he stepped into the bathroom and saw Hwoarang struggling to get out of the tub. He hurried over. "What happened?"

"I fell asleep," he answered and reached for Jin.

Jin quickly responded and took Hwoarang's hand and helped the redhead out of the cold water. He brought an arm around Hwoarang's naked waist and now realized what Lee meant by getting him something warm. "You are an idiot."

Hwoarang nodded and shivered, stepping behind Jin as Lee returned, a large purple robe in his arms. "Here. Put this on and go warm up," he ordered, handing the robe to Hwoarang, and stepped back out of the bathroom, muttering about "stupid redheads."

Hwoarang wrinkled his nose at the robe, not really liking the color, but he slid it on and shivered again. "He's such a girl," he mumbled and looked at Jin.

Jin gave him a scolding look. Even he wasn't happy with Hwoarang falling asleep in the tub, which could get really dangerous. "You need to get some rest."

Hwoarang didn't argue; instead, he allowed Jin to lead him to the bedroom. There, he got himself new bedclothes from his dresser and laid them on the bed. He was just about to remove his robe, but stopped and looked at Jin. "Do you want to help?" he asked. His tone was innocent, but his look suggested otherwise.

Jin looked at him and smiled, closing the bedroom door. "Sure," he said, stepping over to Hwoarang and standing behind him. He kissed the back of Hwoarang's head, moving strong hands to the front of his waist, untying the robe and sliding it off his shoulders with gentle care. Once the robe was off, he watched it slide to the floor and ran a hand down Hwoarang's back and over his bare bottom softly.

Hwoarang shivered at the movements as he lowered his head. Jin's touch felt good, and he had forgotten how much he had missed it until now. He closed his eyes and lifted his arms, allowing Jin to slide the new shirt on and over his head. He then turned around and used Jin's shoulder for support as he stepped into his sweat pants, but allowed Jin to pull them up to his waist.

"There. Now, get some rest," Jin said softly, touching Hwoarang's cheek. "You need it."

"All right," Hwoarang said, a bit disappointed that those touches didn't go further. Then again, even he wasn't sure if he could further just yet, in his situation. Crawling back into bed, he allowed Jin to cover him with a blanket, his body already heating up. It wasn't long after that that he fell asleep.

~**X**~

Hwoarang had slept for most of the day, not waking up until four in the afternoon. When he did, he went downstairs in hopes of finding something to eat. He was glad to see that Lee had picked up some fried chicken from the store, along with macaroni and cheese. It looked good, and Hwoarang was hungry after his trip to the bathroom that morning.

After gathering some food, he went to the living room to eat his meal.

Steve smiled at him. "Glad to see you up. How you feeling, mate?"

Hwoarang looked at him and smiled. "Um, when life gives you lemons, you say, 'Yum.'"

"What? That's not right at all," Steve said, poking Hwoarang's shoulder. "It's 'If life gives you lemons, you ask for apples,' you git."

"That's dumb. My way is better. Therefore, yours is wrong," Hwoarang said, taking a bite of his chicken.

"I am not. Jin, am I wrong?" the blond asked, looking over at Jin, who was reading.

"Yes, you both are. Its more 'If life gives you lemons, you smile and say thank you.'"

"No, that's not right, either," Lee piped up as he walked into the room, having heard the conversation. "It's 'if life give you lemons, you serve them with a smile."

A soft breeze passed by, blowing gently at Hwoarang's hair. He pushed it back and turned to Steve. "Can you close—" He stopped when he noticed that someone was sitting on the windowsill, and his eyes widened with fear.

"I am sorry to barge in, but I have to correct you all. I believe the saying is, "If life gives you a box of lemons, you make lemonade," said a clam voice. The speaker pushed back his blond hair as the breeze passed by. He smiled and looked directly at Hwoarang. "Speaking of lemons, Hwoarang, I think you owe me some pie."

**To Be Continued...**


	10. Hidden Thoughts

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

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**Chapter 10**

**Hidden Thoughts**

~**X**~

Hwoarang could hear his heart hammering through his ears. _Why? Why is he here? _he asked himself repeatedly. He didn't even notice the others around him. The only one he saw was Sam.

"Who are you?" Lee asked, standing and getting ready to fight. "Hwoarang, is he the guy? Hwoarang?"

"It's rude to ask someone who they are before introducing yourself," Sam said with a friendly smile. "However, since I intruded, I'll let you know I am not a threat to you. I came by my own free will and not by any order."

"So, you are saying you are one of the guys that are giving Hwoarang trouble?" asked Steve.

"If you mean am I one of the men that beat him, then no. However, I am the one who used to babysit him, and I am the one who kidnapped him," he said, leaning his chin in the palm of his hand.

Jin narrowed his eyes. "You kidnapped Hwoarang. Why?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't really know. I don't ask; I just do my job."

"'_Do your job_?'" asked Jin.

"He means he's like a hitman, right?" Lee said, folding his arms over his chest.

Sam looked at Lee and shook his head. "Sort of, but that's not what I was hired to do. Also, if paid enough, I can be persuaded to stay away from the job," he said with a grin.

Lee frowned and took out his check book. "All right, how much? Name your price."

"I don't require money; I have enough of that," Sam said, waving a hand back and forth. "I want lemon pies. Enough to last me a month, and they have to be the best. I won't accept anything but the best," he smiled and slipped out the window. "You got a week," he said with a wave and left.

Lee, Steve, and Jin watched the strange man leave, all confused and a bit angry. Lee then turned to Hwoarang.

"Is he serious?"

The redhead nodded. "Every time I've seen him, he's had pie. He offered to help before; I just didn't take him seriously." _I still don't._

"Could be a trap," Steve said, closing and locking the window.

"Should we leave here?" asked Jin, looking over at Lee.

"No, I want to see what he offers," Hwoarang said, speaking before Lee had the chance to. "It might be okay to trust him."

"You sure?" asked Lee.

Hwoarang nodded and looked at the three of them. "Yeah, I am sure," he said and sighed. "There is just... I don't know. I feel like I can trust him." _Maybe I am just going crazy..._

"All right," said Lee and ran a hand through his hair. "I hope you three are in the mood for pie, then. I have a feeling we will be eating it until we find the best," he said, shaking his head.

"But the trans fat," Steve mumbled.

"Are you a girl?" Hwoarang said, raising a brow. "Just exercise and eat less at dinner, moron. A slice of pie a day for a week won't kill you."

"I don't like it either, but we don't have a choice," Lee said. "It's either eat some pie or allow Hwoarang to get captured."

"Ah, I suppose so," Steve said and sat down. "I can't believe he found us so fast."

"That doesn't matter; we can figure that out soon enough. We should get in contact with Xiaoyu and see if he showed up at her place before coming here," Jin said, taking out his phone.

"Yeah, you do that," Hwoarang said and entered the kitchen. "I want some tea." _Or alcohol._

~**X**~

Hwoarang watched as Lee poured him a glass of scotch on ice and gladly accepted it. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Lee said and poured a glass for himself. "I think you deserve a good drink," he added.

Hwoarang nodded and took a mouthful of the dark brown liquid, cringing as it went down his throat. "That's good stuff," he said and took a swallow.

Lee nodded. "It is. Scotch it is said to warm the soul."

Hwoarang raised his glass to those words and took a gulp. He loved the strong taste, and it was something he needed. Just as he placed his glass back down, Jin entered the room and sat next to him. "Want some?" _I think you can do a better job at calming me down than the whiskey, Jin._

Jin shook his head. "I just got off the phone with Xiaoyu," he said in a soft tone.

"And what's the news?" Lee asked.

"She has met Sam, but he didn't say much to her," Jin started and rubbed at the back of his head. "He came to her home one day and said that Hwoarang had sent him there."

"And she believed him?" Hwoarang asked, looking at his cup rather than Jin.

"Not at first, but then, when they started talking, I guess he was convincing enough. She didn't tell him where we were, though; he figured that out by himself. The way she explained it was, he asked a lot of questions and seemed worried. Then he said something about the United States and she confirmed the rest on her own, not realizing she gave away the location," he explained, looking at Lee.

"I see. Then he does know what he is doing. We need to be careful with this guy, Sam. It's hard to say if we should trust him or not," Lee said, tilting his glass back and forth gently, not enough to spill his liquor, but enough to rattle the ice a little. "What do you think, Hwoarang?"

"I think we need to find us some good lemon pies." _Or maybe just let them have me..._

~**X**~

Hwoarang stared at the clock on the wall with a frown. He felt time was going too slow. Though he had slept all day, he was still looking forward to bedtime. Not because he was tired, but because he was looking forward for that little alone time with Jin. He felt like it was long enough to go without sex. He just hoped Jin had the same thing in mind.

"So," Steve started, taking a seat next to Hwoarang. "What should we do about this weird payment?"

"Find a good pie and order a lot of them," Hwoarang said, moving a bit away from the blond to give him more room.

"I think one of us should go out tomorrow and order a some from a few places, do a little taste-testing," Jin said, putting down his book and looking at the other three.

"I vote that it's Lee," Hwoarang said, grinning at the older man.

"What is with you and making my life harder than it should be?" Lee asked, glaring at the redhead.

Hwoarang shrugged. "I am not, really you do it yourself. Besides, you rented the car, and I can't go out now, can I?"

"He has a point," said Steve. "Hwoarang can't be running around with the chance of getting caught."

"Fine, I'll go and grab some pies in the morning. Hwoarang, when this is over, you owe me big time," Lee said.

Hwoarang blinked and then smirked. "I'll blow you big time? Lee said what?"

Lee's face turned bright red and he glared daggers at the Korean. "I didn't say anything like that! You- gah!" he shouted with frustration and left the room, muttering about perverted redheads.

Hwoarang laughed, watching him leave and shook his head. He then glanced at the clock and smiled. "Time for bed. Jin, don't be too long. I don't want to be disturbed. You know how noisy you are," he chuckled and got up, leaving the room after Lee.

Jin watched him leave with a frown and rubbed at the back of his head. He was ignoring the dark thoughts from the devil, keeping himself calm. "I suppose it is getting late," he said, putting down his book and standing up. "Good night."

"Night, Jin," Steve said with a smile and turned on the television. It looked like he was going to have the night to himself.

~**X**~

Hwoarang waited in the room for Jin. He was lying on the bed with only his boxers on and the blankets pushed to the side. He listened carefully to try and hear footsteps coming down the hall and sighed when he couldn't hear anything at all.

Frowning, Hwoarang got up and went to the door, opening it and peering outside. No one was coming, but he could hear the shower running in the bathroom. "Shit," he said and closed the door, going back to bed.

He plopped down face first and grabbed his pillow, holding onto it. "I want sex," he mumbled and rolled over to his back, looking at the ceiling. He hummed and scratched his chest as he waited for Jin, but thinking of the other man turned him on. His body felt hot.

"Awe, hell," he said, sliding his hand down his boxers. He gently ran his fingers over his member and pulled it out. The cool air felt good against his bare skin. Slowly, he wiggled his way out of his boxers and kicked them to the floor.

His fingers found their way back to his member and he stroked it gently. At that moment, Jin stepped into the room.

"Sorry," Jin said once he noticed what the redhead was doing. His eyes fixed on Hwoarang's hand, watching its every move. He swallowed, not sure what to do or say.

Hwoarang looked at Jin and smirked. His hand didn't stop while he patted the bed with his free hand. "Come here and join me," he said with a smile.

Jin returned the smile and did just that.

~**X**~

The next morning, Lee found himself in the back of the line at a very busy bakery. He was annoyed with the whole morning and it was all thanks to his "favorite"redhead.

The morning started with Hwoarang accidentally spilling his hot oatmeal over his lap at breakfast and forcing him to go and change. Then the redhead had hidden his keys so he had spent a good ten minutes trying to find them until Jin had finally told him where they were.

Now, just standing around in line was driving him up the wall. "_Go in the morning," he said. "No one buys pies in the morning," _he thought to himself, gritting his teeth. _He said the morning on purpose, I bet. People may not buy pies, but they sure are buying a lot of other foods._

Finally, after a few more minutes had passed, Lee was next in line and made his way to the counter.

"Good morning, sir. What can I get for you?" the waitress asked with a bright smile.

"Good morning. Do you have lemon pies?" Lee asked, returning the smile even if he didn't mean it.

"Yes, sir, what kind would you like?"

Lee's smile vanished and he rubbed his face with frustration. "Ah, what kind do you have?"

"Well, we have lemonade pie, sour cream lemon pie, lemon meringue pie, raspberry-lemon pie, lemon cheesecake pie, and cherry-lemon pie," she asked. Her smile never left.

"No plain lemon?"

"Sorry, sir, we ran out of plain this morning."

Lee cursed under his breath. "Will you be getting any more?"

"Not until this afternoon. Would you like to order one?"

Lee nodded and took out his wallet. "Yes, I'll order one of those and a slice of the other lemon flavors you have, please."

"Of course. Will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you," he said and once she was done gathering up his order, he paid and gave her his name and number. Once finished, he went straight home. Even though the day was still early, Lee already felt tired and couldn't wait to sit and eat some lunch.

~**X**~

"I'm home," Lee said, entering the house and making his way to the kitchen. "I went to three different places around town and got two lemon meringue pies, one sorted box, and later, I have to pick up another."

Hwoarang grinned as he followed Lee into the kitchen. "Oh, looks good. Are we going to have that for lunch?"

"No, I thought we would wait until after dinner," Lee said, putting the pies into the fridge.

"Oh, I see, okay. So, what do you want for lunch?"

Lee shrugged. "It doesn't matter; I'm tired," he said and looked over at the smiling redhead. "Where are the other two?"

"To get lunch. I already ordered for you, by the way."

"Then why did you ask me what I wanted?"

"Because I was going to tell you tough shit, you're getting Subway," he said with a grin. "Jin said he knows what you like, so not to worry."

Lee sat down and listened. "So they left me with you?"

Hwoarang frowned and nodded. "Yep." _Maybe I should give Lee a break for a while. He is helping me out._

"As long as you don't play any jokes on me, that's fine. I am also guessing you are feeling better today?"

Hwoarang shrugged and leaned against the wall, facing Lee. "Yeah, I am. Jin helped a bit last night, too." He grinned at the memory.

"Good. Well, if there isn't anything else I am needed for, I think I am going for a nap."

"I'll wake you up every five minutes if you do," Hwoarang joked and received a glare from the other man. "I am kidding. Thanks, Lee." _Thanks for being here._

Lee waved a hand. "Not a problem," he said and left Hwoarang alone.

_I shouldn't be getting you all in danger like this. I'm sorry,_ Hwoarang thought to himself and sat down at the table, resting his head in his arms. Guilt rushed through him, and he ignored it the best he could.

**To Be Continued...**


	11. Getting Away

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Getting Away

~**X**~

Hwoarang stared out his bedroom window, watching two birds in a tree across from him. He glanced over at the alarm clock and sighed. "Shit," he cursed and got out of bed. He grabbed some clothes from his dresser and stepped out of the room.

He quickly made his way to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. A few minutes later, he came out washed and dressed and ran downstairs. "Hey," he said as he entered the living room. "I want to go out."

Lee and Jin both looked up from their books. "You can't," Lee said and returned to his reading.

Hwoarang frowned. "Make me," he said and grabbed his jacket and shoes. "I am going out."

"Hwoarang, don't make me tie you to a bed," Lee said, setting his book down and standing to his feet. Jin mimicked his actions.

"Cha, you would like that, wouldn't you?" Hwoarang snorted, tying his sneakers. "I'm bored. I want some air, so I am going out."

"Hwoarang, please. If you want some fresh air, we can sit on the back porch for a while," Jin suggested, trying to reason with the redhead.

"Nope. I am sick of doing that, too. I have been here for a couple of weeks, or whatever, and it's been four days since Sam was here. I am stressed and I want to get out," Hwoarang said, sliding his jacket on and making his way over to the front door.

Lee and Jin both grabbed Hwoarang by the arms, holding him back from leaving. "Stop, Hwoarang. You know it's dangerous," said Lee.

Hwoarang sighed, closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side, cracking his neck. "Shut up," he said in a low voice. He then leaned his right side against Jin and pushed himself forward. He elbowed Lee in the chest, sending him flying. He twisted his body around, grabbing Jin's arm holding his and shoving him in the chest. Once both men were out of the way, Hwoarang booked it, slamming the door behind him on his way out.

"Shit," Lee said, getting up over to Jin and helping him up. "You all right?"

Jin rubbed his face and took the offered hand. "I'll be fine. Let's just go after him."

"Agreed. Something was wrong," the older man said and grabbed his car keys from the table. "Let's go."

X

Hwoarang ran from the house as fast as he could, making his way down the street and around the corner. He knew Lee and Jin would follow him, probably by car. _I am not going to have much time to get away, _he thought as he cut through someone's back yard. "Sorry, folks, don't mean to be rude," he said to the family who were enjoying a cook out.

He chuckled softly and quickly crossed another street and down an alleyway. There, he stopped and leaned against a wall, catching his breath. "Shit, I hope I'm safe," he mumbled, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. Once the cigarette was lit, he continued on his way, heading for the downtown shopping district.

He walked in a slow pace, but kept his eyes open for Lee's rental car. He decided it was safer to hide inside the mall than wander the streets in case Lee spotted him. If they were going by car, he was sure it wouldn't be long before he was spotted. _I am glad I didn't dye my hair yet._

Grinning, Hwoarang entered the mall, blending in with the small crowd.

X

Jin scanned each street that they passed for bright red hair. He was worried; Hwoarang shouldn't be running about like this. "You'd think his hair would stick out easily," he said with frustration.

"No, Hwoarang hasn't dyed his hair yet. 'Natural,' my ass. It's long and brown now, so he can blend in easy. Even in America, there aren't a lot of people with red hair," Lee said with a sigh and turned to another street. "Think. What are the places where Hwoarang might go to?"

Jin sighed and looked away from the window. _He is right: Hwoarang hasn't dyed his hair yet. Why didn't I notice? _"Bars and clubs and anywhere with a fight."

Lee scanned the area carefully and turned into a city parking lot. He took the parking ticket at the entrance and drove in. "If he is in a bar, it's best to look on foot. I don't think clubs are open at this time of day, and, well, I am sure sooner or later, we will come across some type of a fight," he said, parking the car and turning off the engine. "Call Steve and let him know what's going on. I know he is in town somewhere, so maybe he can help."

Jin nodded and pulled out his phone to do just that.

Lee, on the other hand, waited for Jin, looking around the underground parking lot for some chance that maybe Hwoarang was there.

"Steve said that he would keep an eye out," Jin said, pocketing his phone. He took a look around, just like Lee had, and remembered the time Hwoarang had called him out to a fight in a similar place almost two years before.

"Any other place Hwoarang might go to?" Lee asked, looking over his shoulder at Jin.

"Um, maybe the mall or some place to eat," he said, hating himself for not knowing more about the redhead.

_**It seems like it's true: you can't love someone,**_ the evil side of Jin's mind said, and the laughter echoed in his mind. Jin shuddered, trying to ignore the dark voice. The last thing he needed was to let his other half take control when he needed to look for Hwoarang.

"Jin, come on!" Lee said, already at the exit.

Jin blinked and quickly ran over to Lee, giving him a small apology, and the two continued on their way.

~**X**~

Hwoarang sat down on a mall bench with a pretzel in hand. He was starving and he was glad he had swiped Lee's wallet when the older man had taken a hold of him before.

He sat there, snacking on the pretzel for several moments when someone took a seat next to him, crossing one leg over the other.

"Hello, Hwoarang-kun," the man said in a smooth voice.

Hwoarang stood rigid when he heard the very familiar voice. It was deep and cold but smooth. He turned his head and looked at the man sitting next him. "Jamie…!"

**To Be Continued…**


	12. Scared of Shadows

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Scared of Shadows

~**X**~

"Jamie," Hwoarang said again, eyes wide with fear. He stared at the man sitting next him for what seemed like eternity, and then the man was gone in the blink of an eye.

Hwoarang dropped his pretzel and yelped. He jumped to his feet and ran away from what seemed to be nothing. The people in the street yelled and complained about the "rude man," but Hwoarang ignored them. He ignored everything.

"Hwoarang?" someone from across the street called out to him, but Hwoarang ignored him as well, without caring who it was.

"Hey, Hwoarang!" the voice called out again. The man chased after the redhead.

This time, Hwoarang glanced back when he heard his name; he didn't recognize the person after him. Thinking it was Jamie, he ran faster, letting his long legs take him away. He wouldn't be caught again, and he didn't want to go back.

~**X**~

Steve stopped his chasing after Hwoarang the moment he lost sight of his Korean friend. He was out of breath and had a cramp on his right side. Groaning in pain, he leaned against a nearby wall and took out his cell phone from his pocket and picked Lee's number.

He waited for the older man to answer, and when he received the voice mail, he cursed. "Lee, it's Steve. I found Hwoarang, but he got away from me. Call me back as soon as you get this," he said and hung up. He then tried Jin's cell.

The phone rang twice before Jin picked up.

"Jin?"

"Yes, what is wrong?"

"I found Hwoarang, but I lost sight of him by Macy's," Steve explained quickly.

Jin spoke away from the phone before answering, "Where are you now?"

"I am by Macy's store, across the street."

"Okay, we will come and get you. Stay there."

"All right, mate; I'll see you soon," he said and finished the call, putting his cell back in his pocket. _I wonder what's wrong with Hwoarang, _he thought to himself. He had the feeling something horrible was going to happen.

~**X**~

Jin closed his phone and turned to Lee. "He's across from Macy's," he said with a frown. "It seems he was chasing after Hwoarang, but he got away."

Lee nodded and made a U-turn to go to the other direction. "Cha, I'm not surprised. Hwoarang won't be easy to catch if he doesn't want to be caught."

Jin nodded, turning to gaze out the window. "Yeah, I know," he said, keeping an eye out for the redhead. _I hope nothing bad happens._ The drive to pick up Steve went quietly after that.

Lee drove quickly, cutting cars and going over the speed limit. For them not to get caught by the police was a miracle, and to cut traffic was also a miracle. Lee could tell that people were not happy, but he didn't care.

**~X~**

They found Steve in record time and immediately drove in the direction where Steve had last seen the redhead. Three pairs of eyes scanned the area in hopes of finding a certain friend of theirs.

_**Don't let the blondie find him first. Then you'll really look bad**_, the devil whispered, sending chills up Jin's spine. He was right; Jin didn't want Steve to be the one to find Hwoarang. No, it had to be him.

_**You are looking for redheads again. Don't you remember what your lover looks like anymore? **__Shut up, I know! _Jin thought to himself, yelling back. However, it was true: he was so used to Hwoarang being a redhead that looking for a brunet continued to slip from his mind.

_**There, you see? Once you look for the right color hair, you make better progress.**_

Jin didn't understand what the devil was saying until a force deep inside told him to look to his left. "There!" he shouted, already opening the car door when he spotted his lover walking leisurely down the road.

Jin jumped out the car, not listening to Lee's protests of stopping first. He rolled into the street and, with quick movements, was on the sidewalk and running toward the brunet ahead of him. "Hwoarang!"

Hearing his name, Hwoarang stopped and glanced back. He was surprised to see Jin chasing after him; then again, he had run out on him earlier. "Jin," he said softly, watching his lover come to a stop only a two feet away from him. "What's wrong?"

"'What's wrong?' Hwoarang, you had me worried sick," Jin said, taking a hold of Hwoarang's shoulders. "What were you thinking about, running off like that?" he asked in an angry tone, but his look said otherwise.

Hwoarang brushed his hands off. "I wanted to get out, I was bored, it was a bad idea, and I am sorry," he said and casually stepped past Jin and over to the rental car.

Jin watched him, a bit surprised at his actions, and had a feeling something was wrong. _I hope he talks to me later..._

Hwoarang felt defeated, confused, and tired. He knew he was still healing from what he had gone through just a little over two weeks ago, but he had wanted to get out so badly. He always hated being cooped up somewhere, and he should have known it wouldn't be good for his mentality.

Slowly, he made his way to the car, with Lee and Steve watching him. He didn't say a word as he got into the front passenger seat and closed the door.

Lee watched Hwoarang with worry and then looked at Jin. The Japanese just shook his head and got into the back seat next to Steve. His thoughts were on the redhead who sat in front of him. Hwoarang had seemed almost scared.

On the way home, Hwoarang stayed quiet, resting his head against the window. To Lee, he looked defeated—a look he only seen Hwoarang have once before: at the end of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3.

~**X**~

Back in Japan, Kaji sat at his desk, looking out a window, and spoke on the phone. "Thank you, Sam. So, you confirmed he is in the United States? Yes, all right. I will speak to you in a week," he said with a smirk and hung up his phone.

"Well, Hwoarang-kun, it won't be long until we see each another again," he said and took out an old photograph from the top of his desk. He smiled at it, touching the face of a young redhead.

~X~

Later that evening, Jin was in the kitchen, making everyone coffee. Lee was there as well, sitting at the table and reading his morning paper; he hadn't had the chance for that in the morning. Steve was lying on the couch, taking a nap, while Hwoarang had just gotten out of the shower and was heading downstairs.

Hwoarang was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. His hair was down and wet, sticking to his face and shoulders. He smirked as he came into the kitchen, tossing his damp towel in the laundry room. "Reading anything good, Chaolan?" he asked, hopping on top of the counter.

Lee glared at the redhead. "Get off there; people make food on that," he said in irritation, folding his paper to the side. "Nothing important or anything we need to worry about anyway," he added with a frown.

Hwoarang was tempted to say "make me," but that almost seemed as if he would be flirting with the older man, and he didn't want that. No, that would have been wrong. "Fine," he said and slid down from the counter.

Jin glanced at Hwoarang and then at Lee as he stirred the sugar in the coffee. Dark thoughts loomed in his head. _**There is something between those two. You should do something. **__Shut up. No, it's nothing like that!_

_**Are you sure? They seem close—too close.**_

_They are, and I don't like it._

_**You need to do something.**_

_I will tonight._

"Hey, Jin," Hwoarang said, catching the other man's attention.

Jin blinked and glanced at Hwoarang, feeling something wet against his shirt. He had spilled the coffee he was making. "Oh, shoot," he said and quickly placed the cups back on the counter and began cleaning things up.

"You okay?" Hwoarang asked, his head tilted to the side.

"Y-yeah, I was just thinking about everything. I'm sorry," Jin said, trying to whip off his shirt.

Hwoarang sighed. "Yeah, I know things are pretty messed up. It's okay," Hwoarang said, running his hand through his damp hair. His eyes lingered on Jin's chest: he could see the outline perfectly through the wet fabric. _Damn, he looks good._

He looked away when Jin stepped out of the room and sat down at the table. His thoughts went back to when he had seen Jamie. _Was it just my imagination? Did he really haunt my thoughts? Or is he hiding in the shadows, taunting me? _

"Hwoarang," Lee said, watching the younger man from across the table.

Hwoarang glanced at him, leaning his chin into the palm of his hand.

"Would you like me to cut your hair? It's gotten rather long," Lee asked, tossing away the paper.

Hwoarang frowned and pulled at his hair a bit, noting how it had gotten way too long for his liking. "Yeah, thanks," he said with a smile. "Tomorrow. I want to go and talk to Jin now," he said and got up, leaving the room.

Lee watched after him and shook his head. He knew there had been something going on between Jin and Hwoarang since they had trained together. At the time, he hadn't cared what their relationship was, but it worried him now. Jin's darker side was taking control, and he feared what would happen to Hwoarang when it took over completely.

**To Be Continued…**


	13. Confusion Arises

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Confusion Arises

**~X~**

Hwoarang stepped into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He saw Jin sitting on the bed and smiled. The other man was in nothing but a pair of boxers, and it was very welcomed.

"Hey," the redhead said, removing his shirt and tossing it into the hamper.

Jin returned the smile, shifting so he could watch the other man. It was very promising to watch Hwoarang remove his pants; he was glad to see the man was wearing nothing under them. "Hi."

Once Hwoarang was undressed, he turned to Jin. "Are you just going to sit there?" he asked.

Jin laughed and stood to his feet. He took the few steps to Hwoarang and draped his arms around the redhead, pulling him close so their chests touched and groins rubbed together. He leaned forward and kissed Hwoarang hard, pushing him into the wall.

Hwoarang groaned as his length hardened against Jin's. His breathing hitched and his hold on the other man's arm tightened. It felt good; Jin's body was hot, and he loved the feel of his bare skin against his. He slowly moved his hand from Jin's shoulder down to the rim of his boxers and pulled.

The boxersloosened on Jin's waist and fell to the floor. Jin smiled and let go of Hwoarang. He stepped out of his boxers and kicked them to the side. He smiled at Hwoarang, enjoying the small fact that they were both naked. He reached over and grabbed Hwoarang, moving his hands to the redhead's back. He looked at his lover and smirked, sliding his hand down to Hwoarang's butt and cupping it.

Hwoarang moaned when he felt Jin's hand on his butt, pushing them both closer so their hard members rubbed together, giving him chills. Closing his eyes and tilting his head back, he allowed Jin to give him kisses on the neck.

Jin moved slowly, gently dabbing over the other man's skin with his tongue. He stopped, bringing his hand up and rubbing at a wet spot with his thumb gently. The same hand moved down, going around Hwoarang's waist and leading him to bed.

Hwoarang gripped at Jin's arm and the two fell on the bed together. Their foreheads smacked, and light chuckles, mixed with groans of pain, followed. Hwoarang sat up, looking at Jin with a grin. "Sorry," he said, moving on top of his lover with a smile spread on his face. "It's been too long," he said, leaning downward and kissing the other man, biting down on Jin's lower lip.

Jin gaped when he felt the teeth against his lower lip and he opened his mouth. He could feel Hwoarang's tongue invade it and let out a low groan. He brought his arms up and grabbed Hwoarang's hips, squeezing them.

Hwoarang rubbed his crotch against Jin's once more, feeling the hard member against his own. He broke their kiss and leaned upward, looking down at Jin with a grin. He rolled off him, lying on his back with his legs spread. He rubbed at his inner thighs and gave Jin a hungry look. "Let's have some fun," he said, grinning.

Jin chuckled at his lover's words and sat up, moving over and stopping between Hwoarang's legs. "But of course."

~X~

It only took Hwoarang a few minutes to fall asleep. His head rested on the pillow, his arm was swung over Jin's shoulder, and his nose was buried into the brunet's hair. He had fallen asleep feeling a lot better than he had earlier in the day—feeling perhaps the best he had felt in weeks—and he fell asleep knowing Jin was there. He felt safe for the first time in a good while.

Jin, however, stayed awake, looking up at the dark gray ceiling. He was allowing Hwoarang to hold him for the time being. He had enjoyed the redhead, and what had just taken place was wonderful in itself, but he still had a lot on his mind. He couldn't get the devil out of his head; the evil side of him whispered in his ear like a ghost, haunting him into the night. It scared him, and he was starting to believe he was turning into his father.

He glanced over at Hwoarang and frowned. Gently, he turned in the other man's arms so that he was facing the redhead. He slid his arm up and brushed his hand against Hwoarang's sleeping face, pushing back the brown and red hair from his cheek. He sighed softly and kissed his forehead. "Good night," he whispered, moving from the light grip, and then Jin slid over to his own bed. He felt that he needed his own space for the night. It gave him time to think and ponder what this whole situation was about. _What am I going to do?_

~X~

The next morning, Jin was the last one to wake up. He sat up in bed and looked around, noting that Hwoarang had already left. Rubbing at his face to clear his vision from the sleep, he groaned and stood up. He grabbed a pair of sweat pants and slid them on.

Once decent, Jin made his way downstairs and headed for the kitchen to get something to eat. He stopped short, however, when he saw something he didn't quite like: Hwoarang sitting in a chair, with Lee leaning over him, their faces close.

"Stay still," Lee mumbled, touching Hwoarang's face with his right hand and running a comb through the damp hair with his left.

Hwoarang was wiggling a bit in his seat, trying to move back in the chair and away from Lee. He wasn't too fond of the older man being so close in his personal space. "No. I'm like a child!"

"Damn straight you are!" Lee growled, moving so that his right knee was on top of Hwoarang's and leaning in close. "You asked for me to cut it, so stay still!" he ordered, sliding fully into Hwoarang's lap.

"Oi! Okay, I'll stay still. This is too personal for my liking," Hwoarang protested, holding onto the sides of the chair. He closed his eyes when he felt Lee grab his chin and turn his head. He let out a low breath he didn't know he had been holding when he heard a few snipping sounds.

"Just relax. You asked me to do this. Difficult man," Lee said, keeping Hwoarang's head turned as he snipped a few strands of hair on the side of his face.

Hwoarang coughed, leaning back as far as he could and keeping himself still. "Not comfortable."

"Too bad," Lee said, glancing up when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. "Morning, Jin."

"Jin?" Hwoarang said, trying to move his head to look at his lover. However, a strong hand that had a grip on his cheek wouldn't let him. "Eeeh, Lee. I'm hungry. Let's finish later," he whined.

"Hwoarang, you're like the biggest baby," Lee said, moving off of the younger man and looking at him. "The right side of your hair is shorter than the left. At least let me finish them."

Hwoarang rubbed at his face and sighed. "Fine. Just hurry up, and we can do this later," he said, looking over at Jin, who was making coffee.

"Finally getting a haircut?" Jin asked over his shoulder, listening as Lee went back to cutting Hwoarang's bangs.

"Yeah, sort of," Hwoarang said, keeping his eyes closed while Lee finished cutting his hair.

"There. Now you're even, and it doesn't look so weird," Lee said, moving away from Hwoarang. "Go do what you want to do," he said with a grunt, grabbing the newspaper and sitting down.

"I suppose I should clean the mess?" Hwoarang asked, looking down at the little pieces of red hair that littered the floor.

"Yes."

"Whatever," the redhead said, grabbing the broom and the dust pan. "Jin, you look lovely as ever," he said, smiling at the other man.

Jin stirred his coffee and leaned against the kitchen counter, watching his lover clean the mess. "Yeah, so do you."

"That wasn't a compliment, Jin. I was being sarcastic," he spoke while cleaning the hair, quickly finishing the job and putting away the broom. He crossed over to stand next to Jin, facing the counter. The next words he spoke were so low that only the man next to him could hear them. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Jin looked at him, confused, but before he could say anything, he was interrupted, as Steve barged in.

"Guys, look at this," he said, moving over to the kitchen table past Hwoarang and Jin and setting down a poster.

"What is it?" Hwoarang asked. He and Jin followed Steve to see what the poster was about.

"The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5," Lee read out loud, his eyes wide. "It's been announced? Why?"

"I don't know. I think we need to call Japan to see what's up," Steve said, looking at the others.

Jin picked up the poster. His brows narrowed. "This isn't possible. Who could be running it?"

Hwoarang groaned, taking a seat at the table and covering his face with his hands. "With all the shit that's going on, a tournament is starting? When?"

"It just says 'coming soon,'" Jin mumbled. "So, what do we do?"

"We call home," Lee said and stood up. "Where did you get that, Steve?"

"Someone knocked on the front door, and when I went to see who, that was taped on the window. Kind of rude, if you ask me," Steve said, arms folding across his chest.

Hwoarang slid his hands down his face and looked at the blond. "Really? You're worried about people being rude? Steve, this is America. Whoever sent that wants us back home."

"Yeah, why else would someone leave an Iron Fist Tournament poster taped to the front door? No one is supposed to know we are here. It has the word 'trap' written all over it; it could be a fake. Something to get us excited about," Lee said, taking the poster from Jin again and looking it over. "No, we better call home and see what's going on..."

"Shit, that's all I need, though: this fucking shit. I'm trying to hide and stay away, and something calls me back to Japan? That's messed up. They must really want me for one reason or the other," Hwoarang complained.

"Relax. I'll find out what this is all about. It might be a trap to lure you back home," Lee said, getting up from his chair and leaving the room. Steve followed him.

"Fuck this shit; if it is real, I want to go for it. Got some unfinished business," Hwoarang said, turning to Jin.

"You still want to fight?" Jin asked, taking a seat next to the redhead.

"Yeah," Hwoarang shrugged. "Win or lose, I won't take it so literally, but I still want to get it over with." He smirked at his lover, but then the smirk faded, and he looked at the table. "Maybe it'll distract me enough to forget about all this... unless they capture me again before it even starts..."

"I suppose...," Jin said and folded his arms over his chest, thinking about the whole thing. "I just wonder who is running it."

Hwoarang looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"After you disappeared, I went to see my grandfather. I thought that maybe he was behind all this, but he wasn't. He didn't even plan the Tag Tournament, only hosted it. It seems that someone paid him to do it. When I spoke with him, however, things went wrong. My father showed up, and, well... I escaped. What happened after that, well, from what I heard, my grandfather died."

"Huh, so then someone else has to be running the tournament. Fuck, I'm kind of scared to find out who," Hwoarang said, rubbing a hand through his long hair and pushing it back. "Hell, I don't even know if I am able to compete in a tournament. I might fight you and be done with it."

"Hwoarang." Jin paused, looking away from the other man with a sigh. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to say. "I think that if we compete, you should go under a different name."

"What? I already do that," Hwoarang said with a snort.

"No, I mean, perhaps to keep you safe? If you do compete, it might be best to stay undercover."

"Oh, yeah... I don't know, Jin. Maybe I won't even go. That's something they might want," Hwoarang said, standing to his feet. "I'm going to see if Lee found out anything."

Jin watched him with a worried look. He stood up and followed. "That's a good idea," he said and went after the redhead.

~X~

Xiaoyu wasn't sure what was going on when she heard news of the next tournament. Something seemed off about it, and she knew she had to contact the boys. However, at the time she found out, they would have been in bed.

Currently, the teenager was fast asleep in her bed. At first, she didn't hear her cell phone. It wasn't until Panda nudged her awake that she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. "Wha—?" she mumbled, eyes wide when she heard the familiar ring tone.

Quickly, she pushed the covers off and jumped out of bed. She stumbled as she made her way over to her dresser and answered on the fourth ring. "Moshi moshi?"

"Xiaoyu?"

"Lee! Oh, I am so glad you called!" she shouted. She quickly covered her mouth, though, when she realized her mistake. "Sorry," she whispered, looking at Panda.

"Sorry to be bothering you so late," came Lee's voice from the other side. "But this is important. Xiaoyu, is there a tournament coming up?"

Xiaoyu blinked, surprised by the man's words. "How do you know? It was only announced today. It shouldn't have reached overseas yet," she said, spinning a strand of hair with her finger.

"Today? Ah, that's right So, there is one coming, though? Do you know when?"

"In three weeks, Lee. Don't worry about signing up."

"What? Why?"

"Because they announced that everyone who was in the Tag Tournament is already a participant. If you were not in the Tag Tournament, you have to sign up within the next two weeks," she said, moving over to her bed and sitting down.

"That's—" He paused, and she could hear him mumbling something to someone over the other end. "Thank you, Xiaoyu. We might be coming home sooner than we thought... You know what? I'll call you later. You should_ get some sleep."_

"Oh, okay. Good night!" she said and listened to beep from the other end. She looked at the screen for a second and closed the phone. "It's as I thought, Panda: something isn't right...," she said, looking over at her good friend.

The panda growled and laid her head on the soft mattress, allowing Xiaoyu to pet her by the ears.

"You know, I think today we should do some investigation of our own and help the boys out," she decided, lying back in her bed and looking at the dark ceiling. "Good night," she said, rolling over to try and get back to sleep. It was hard, though, as she was worried for her friends who were currently across the seas.

~X~

Lee shook his head and sat down, tossing his phone on the coffee table. "Someone knows we are here," he said, looking at the other three fighters.

"What do you mean? Other than Sam?" asked Steve.

Lee nodded. "Unless it was him who gave the flyer, yes, other than Sam."

"Shit," Hwoarang said, sitting down next to Steve, covering his face with his hands.

"This person might not be after you, Hwoarang; it could be one of Jin's enemies, too," Lee said, trying to comfort the redhead.

Hwoarang looked up. "Oh, yeah? Who is after Jin other than his old man and grandfather?"

Jin rubbed his head. "It could be one of my father's men or something, but I don't know how they could find me. My trail was left unknown. This wouldn't be his work."

Lee leaned forward, resting his elbows to his knees and his chin to his hand. "You have a point," he said in a low tone.

The room went quiet for a moment. No one looked at each other or said what was on their minds. All four men were trying to think what all this could mean. It was at that moment that there was a tap on the window.

Hwoarang looked up, as did the others. The redhead sat back, pulling his legs onto the couch and holding them to his chest. "Get it," he said, touching Steve's shoulder gently.

The blond stood up and took the five steps over to the window, opening it. "Haven't you heard of a door?" he asked, stepping out of the way.

"No, no door," Sam said and slid himself into the house. He looked at each of them and smiled. He then sat down on the floor cross-legged, a wide smile on his face. "Hello, welcome!"

Lee frowned. "Welcome? No, no, we live here, and you are far from welcome. What do you want? We have a few more days, right?"

"That's rude. And I am hungry now. I watched you; I saw you bring in a lot of pies... a bunch of pies. Let me try some!" Sam demanded, slapping his thighs.

"Couldn't hurt. I'll go get you a plate," Steve said, moving past Sam and out of the room.

Hwoarang stared at Sam. "You have been spying on us?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, yes, I have. I can't let you leave you now. Not until I am paid; then, we make a deal!" He yelled the last part, twitching and looking around.

"Are you going through withdrawal?" Hwoarang asked him with his eyebrows raised.

"Yes, haven't had any pie... I tried a cherry one. It didn't fulfill my need," Sam said with a sigh, touching his head. He grinned when he saw the plate of pie being handed to him. "Thank you!" he said, grabbing it quickly.

Steve frowned and took a step back. "He's bloody mad."

"Yes, so it seems," Lee admitted, watching Sam from where he was sitting. Even he had to admit that the blond eating pie on the floor was a bit crazy.

"What are you here for?" Jin asked. He was the only one who didn't seem bothered by the whole thing.

Sam didn't respond right away. Only when the pie was gone, completely consumed, did he look up and smile at them. "I like this pie. Get me this pie," he said, pointing to the empty plate. "Oh, so I saw someone on your porch a little while ago. It seems I wasn't the only one hired to follow you," he said and stood up. "If you pay me half of what I asked for tomorrow, I'll find out who it was. We'll talk more then," he said, and bowed to them, jumping out the window and disappearing down the street.

Steve picked up the empty pie plate and closed the window. "Weird man...," he said and looked at the others. "Now what?"

Lee shook his head. "I have some pies to buy. He knows something."

"I wonder if he knew this was going to happen," Hwoarang said.

"It might be some sort of trap to catch Hwoarang. For now, we should trust the guy, at least until we can leave the country and head back home," Lee said. He looked to Hwoarang, who suddenly looked ill. He sighed and leaned forward, touching the other man's knee. "Look, it's best if we all just get this over with. Confront the bastard who kidnapped you and find out why."

Hwoarang nodded. He knew Lee was right, but even so, he was afraid to see Lord Kaji again. "Okay."

Steve rubbed his head. "Maybe we can ask that Sam fellow who is behind all this."

"I don't think he'll talk. You need to remember he may still be under contract with his other boss. He's making an agreement with us out of—well what I could guess—pure fun," Lee said, moving his hand from Hwoarang's knee and sitting back again.

Jin had tuned out of the conversation. The moment he saw Lee touch Hwoarang on the leg, he didn't like it. Anger stirred inside him, and he could hear the devil's words clearly. **He's getting too close. You should separate them! Maybe kill the older one. Keep him away!**

Jin shook his head. He didn't want to hurt Lee, but he did want to see him get hurt. **Hurt him! Hurt him! Get rid of him! He's getting too close! Let him know what is yours! **

"Jin?" Hwoarang said, looking over at his lover. "What do you think?" he asked, touching the other man's arm.

Jin jumped from the touch and looked at Hwoarang, smiling at him. "Me? Do you know who it is, Hwoarang?"

Hwoarang shook his head. He had seen the face of the man who was behind his kidnapping. He had stared the man in the eye then and in his past, too. . He knew who it was, but he couldn't say the name because he didn't want to believe it. "Yes," he said, grinding his teeth.

Everyone looked at him when he spoke, a bit shocked.

"Who, then?" Steve asked.

"I can't say," Hwoarang whispered, looking away from them and at the floor.

"Hwoarang, you need to tell us who if you want us to help," Jin said, touching the redhead's shoulder.

"I can't say," Hwoarang repeated.

"Why not?" asked Lee.

"Because the man should be dead!"

**To Be Continued...**


	14. Mixing with Reality

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Mixing with Reality

~X~

A week had passed, and the four fighters were all sitting at the kitchen table. It was late at night, and the only light on was the one over the stove, leaving the room dark but light enough so that they could move around the room without getting hurt. The atmosphere in the room was serious and quiet. When they spoke, it was in hushed voices as if they were afraid for someone to hear them.

"So, everything is set up. We can leave in three days," Lee said, looking across the table at Hwoarang.

"Xiaoyu has everything set up for us in Japan. That Kazama girl helped," Steve said. He, too, was looking at Hwoarang.

"You talked to her?" asked Jin.

"Yes, while Lee was out getting some final things," Steve answered. "Don't worry; I used the mobile phone."

"Where are we staying?" Hwoarang asked, eyeing Steve.

"Well, I'm not sure. Xiaoyu said it was the back streets of Tokyo," Steve said, thinking about it. "It's not far from Jin's old school."

"Yes, I told Xiaoyu to get a place where we can hide but also be in the open when I spoke to her the other day," Lee explained. "It's not the back streets, but around there. We are between Jin's school and Tokyo Tower," Lee explained.

"Oh, I understand," Jin said, nodding. "What sort of place is it?"

"It's an apartment building, two bedrooms. It's smaller than this place, I believe: all one floor," Lee said, frowning.

"Some might think we are romantic pairs," Steve said, unsure if he liked this situation.

"So what?" Hwoarang asked, glaring at him. "S'not like people will be lying about us," he snorted. Hwoarang wasn't one to blurt out his sexual orientation, but considering the people he was with, he didn't very much care. He trusted them, plus two of the three already knew. "I think the only straight man at the table here tonight is Chaolan, and that in itself is questionable."

Steve was a bit taken aback by Hwoarang's words. He had never thought the Korean to be open like that. "I suppose."

Lee rubbed his temple at the conversation they were having. "If it makes you feel better, Steve, I'll bunk with Hwoarang, and you can bunk with Jin. Also, Hwoarang, you should have more respect for ones who are older than you are," he said, looking at the redhead again.

"Hey, who ever said I wanted to bunk with you?" Hwoarang said, his voice getting louder.

"Quiet down," said Steve.

"I agree, I don't like that situation," Jin said, his voice also getting louder.

"Why not? It's no different than it is now," Lee said with a frown. "Though it doesn't matter to me; I was just trying to help Steve to be comfortable."

"It's not that I'd be uncomfortable about bunking with one of you. I don't like people talking bloody lies," the boxer said, shaking his head.

"I think maybe I should bunk with Steve, and Jin bunks with you," Hwoarang said, pointing to Lee. "That way it's more, um, you guys are family and—"

"No," Jin said, cutting the redhead off. "I'll bunk with you," he said, his voice firm.

Hwoarang raised a brow, rather annoyed at his lover's decision. "Fuck you, Kazama," he said, got up, and stepped out of the room. "I'll just sleep on the couch."

"So much for being quiet," Lee mumbled, getting up and following Hwoarang out of the room.

Steve looked at Jin, a bit confused and wondering what had just happened. "I suppose we are all getting along too well," he mumbled.

Jin lowered his head and raised a hand. "Sorry, Steve," he said, getting up, and he, too, left the room. He felt bad for his actions, but he felt as if he couldn't help himself. _When did I become so angry at everyone? _he thought to himself, making his way up the stairs.

Steve watched as Jin left after the others and he thought it was all because of the situation they were in. _Not to mention spending so much time with this lot._

~X~

As Jin stepped into the bedroom, he jumped in surprise when he was grabbed by the arm and pushed against the door, which closed behind him. His eyes wide, he looked at the redhead. "Hwoarang?"

"Shut up, Kazama," Hwoarang said, his tone angry. "What the fuck is it with you lately, huh? You've been a real asshole, and I don't like it. It's not you."

"What do you mean?" Jin asked, bringing a hand up and pushing Hwoarang away.

"You know damn well what I mean!" Hwoarang hissed, trying to keep his voice down. "All week, you've been giving the other two attitude for reasons I have no idea. Not to mention if I'm alone with one of them, you get all pissy."

Jin looked at Hwoarang and shook his head. "No, maybe I'm just not well," he said, brushing past the redhead and taking a seat on his bed. "Sorry."

Hwoarang glared at Jin and then sat across from him, on his own bed. "Unwell, bullshit. You've been acting like a jealous bastard all week, to the point where I'm afraid to ask Lee to finish cutting my hair."

"Sorry," Jin said, but he didn't look at the other man; he kept his gaze at his lap instead.

"Whatever. Stop it because it's NOT you," Hwoarang said, lying down and turning to his side. He let out a low sigh and closed his eyes.

Jin watched him for a moment and then turned away, lying down himself and grabbing his blankets. _No, it's not me, _he thought to himself.

Hwoarang wasn't very tired. In truth, it wasn't all that late, and he could have stayed up another hour or two before getting tired enough to sleep. He glanced over at Jin, who seemed to be asleep already, until he saw movement and Jin sitting up.

"Jin?" Hwoarang asked, sitting up with the other man.

It happened fast. Hwoarang couldn't have reacted even if he had wanted to. Jin was all over him in seconds, kissing his lips and wrapping his arms around him. Jin pulled away just a bit and whispered in Hwoarang's ear, "Whatever happens, I'm sorry." His apology sounded genuine and full of warmth.

Hwoarang was taken back, and he gently patted Jin's shoulder. "Okay," he said, but he wasn't sure if he fully understood. Even so, he closed his eyes and hugged on tighter. "Okay," he repeated.

~X~

The following morning, Lee was the only one up. He was making himself coffee in the kitchen and adding the sugar in the mug. His mind was elsewhere, as he was thinking about the last few days and how rushed everything seemed.

He brought the coffee over to the table and sat down. He pulled over the newspaper and unrolled it and read the headline: "Two Men Shot at Central Park."

Something about the words triggered a memory in Lee's mind. He sat back, dropping the paper on the table and trying to remember what it was that seemed familiar about those words. He couldn't put his finger on it. Sighing, he took a sip of his coffee.

There was a loud scream from upstairs, startling Lee to spray his coffee all over the table.

~X~

The sounds of chains rattling mixed with the sound of light breathing. Sweat dripped from the man's nose and landed on the cool floor below. It wasn't hot, but the man's fever made him feel like the room was on fire, burning at his flesh. Was this real? Was he really back in that disgusting cell? Or was escaping and finding the others just a dream? It couldn't have been, could it?

As Hwoarang lifted his head, he could hear laughter in the background. _"_Who is there?" he wondered out loud. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't put a face on it, and he felt like he should have been able. _Now I'm forgetting things..._

He coughed. Blood dripped off his chin and down his neck, and he let out a low groan of pain. He was ill and he had the feeling he was dying. _Sounds good right about now, _he thought to himself. He took in a deep breath and tried to move his arms and legs.

The chains he wore scratched at his bleeding skin, and he coughed again. His coughs got violent and loud, and he failed to notice the door that was opening.

"Are you done?" a man asked after the coughing stopped. He stood in front of Hwoarang with arms folded, a proud smile on his face.

Hwoarang looked up, though everything was blurry and he couldn't tell who the other person was. "W-what happened? Lee?" he asked, trying to focus.

The man laughed. "So, the dream-scan worked?" he asked, reaching up and pulling some sort of device from Hwoarang's head. He chuckled and touched the redhead's cheek. "I thought it would. I had a very special friend build this for me."

Hwoarang's eyes began to focus as he looked at the gray and blue helmet the other man was holding. The man lifted it up and showed it to him. "It gives people dreams that feel real. Sort of like a videogame. The difference is, other people can see the dream," the man said, letting out a low laugh.

Hwoarang blinked, not comprehending what the man was trying to explain. It was fake? Nothing that had happened in the last few weeks was real? How? Why? "But..."

"Don't believe me? I'm sure you don't. That's okay, though I have to ask: why did you pick New York?"

"New York from America?" Hwoarang asked. The tears were drying from his eyes. "Why did I pick New York?"

"Yes? I don't remember you ever being there."

"You know me?" Hwoarang asked again, lowering his head. He felt so confused. What was going on, and why did he feel like he was hallucinating?

The man shook his head, grabbing a handkerchief and reaching up to touch Hwoarang's cheek and wipe his eyes. Once the tears and the gunk were removed, he took a step back so that the Blood Talon could get a good look at him.

Hwoarang blinked a few more times before his eyes focused and he was able to stare at the man before him. He couldn't believe it; no, this couldn't be happening! "Jamie!"

~X~

"Jamie!" Hwoarang shouted, sitting up in the bed. Sweat poured off his face and hair stuck to his cheeks. He started to cough violently, and he held onto his chest, moving forward. Tears rushed from his eyes, and he started to sob.

"Hwoarang?" Jin asked, moving to the other man's bed. "What's wrong?" he asked, reaching out and grabbing Hwoarang's shoulders roughly.

Hwoarang screamed at the touch, though, and pushed the other man away. "You're not real!"

"What? Hwoarang, of course I am. Look at me!" Jin said his eyes wide from the outburst. "Hwoarang!" he said, reaching for the redhead again.

"No!" Hwoarang shouted, jumping off the bed and tumbling toward the door. He stopped when the door opened and both Steve and Lee barged in.

"What's going on?" Steve asked, looking at Hwoarang and then to Jin.

"You're not real! None of this is real!" Hwoarang shouted again and backed up until he was in a corner. He held onto his head and sank to the ground, pressing his knees to his chest. "He's alive, and this is all fake. A dream!"

No one in the room knew what to say as they watched Hwoarang, all three frozen in place.

**To Be Continued...**


	15. Confused with Danger

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

**A/N 2: Sorry for long wait. Here is the next chapter, please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Confused with Danger

~X~

Hwoarang left.

The moment he calmed from his nightmare, he dressed and walked out. This time, none of the others followed after. Jin had asked them not to. He knew Hwoarang needed time to himself.

Now, Hwoarang was walking the streets of Tokyo alone, wearing jeans, a simple T-shirt, and someone's hoodie. He didn't care whose it was; he had just wanted to get out of the house.

The fresh air felt good, and after an hour of walking, his head started to clear; he started to feel better. _It felt so real...,_ he thought to himself, pulling out a pack of smokes from his pocket. He stopped by an abandoned old building and put a cigarette to his lips, lighting it with a match. He took in a deep puff and sighed, leaning against a brick wall.

He stood there, smoking for a while, letting the nicotine calm his nerves and the chilly air cool his head. He was a lot calmer now, and his mind was more at ease. He could now tell it had been a dream. Why he thought it had been real, he wasn't sure. _Maybe because the pain felt real,_ he thought to himself.

He took one more puff of his cigarette and flicked it to the street. It was then that he heard a cry for help and glanced in the direction of the noise. Quickly, he moved from the spot he had been in and ran toward the noise. It sounded like a fight of some sorts. He smirked. _Just what I need,_ he said to himself when the action came into view.

They were behind a closed restaurant, away from the streets. Hwoarang knew to be careful and kept his hood up as he rushed forward. There were four guys, but one had been knocked down already. Two were holding onto a girl, and the third was pointing a knife at her. _She knocked down the first guy on her own...,_ he thought as he sprung forward, kicking one of the guys who had a hold of the girl in the back.

The guy yelped in pain as he fell to the ground. The third guy, facing the girl and holding the knife, looked up in shock. He didn't have time to say anything, though, before the girl moved.

Hwoarang was a bit surprised when he saw the girl take action. Now that her one side was free, she could move freely and work her way out of the grasp of the other guy. She did a cartwheel and kicked the guy on her left to the ground again.

Hwoarang grinned. He knew who it was now. He had fought against her once before. "Damn pest," he said, looking at her.

Xiaoyu spun around in mild shock at hearing Hwoarang's voice. She couldn't see his face, but he was the only one who called her 'pest.' "Hwoarang?" she asked out loud.

"Watch out!" Hwoarang shouted, grabbing her quickly by the arm and tossing her to the side.

The guy with the knife had lunged forward and almost stabbed Xiaoyu; Hwoarang had knocked her out of the way in time. "Why, you!" the man shouted, turning his attention on the redhead now.

Hwoarang grinned, moving into a fighting position. "Well, come on. You do have the upper hand, you know. I don't have a weapon."

The thug glared at Hwoarang. "Fuck you!" he shouted and attacked, swinging the blade in his hand.

Hwoarang watched him carefully and when the guy came at him, he ducked low and kicked him in the knees, knocking him backward quickly. Hwoarang jumped up and watched as the man tumbled to the ground. "Sorry, you are too slow," he said with a shrug, letting the hood on his head fall back.

The man looked at Hwoarang, smirking. "I'm not done," he said, standing up. He turned his attention to Xiaoyu, however, and rushed at her, grabbing her by the arm and pulling out a gun.

She gasped. "Hey!" she shouted and went to defend herself when she felt the cold metal pressed to her head. Her eyes widened.

The man smirked as he turned his attention back to Hwoarang. "Step away or I'll kill her."

Hwoarang didn't move, but he couldn't take his eyes off the gun. He hated guns; he was afraid of them. He could feel his heart pounding, but he couldn't leave Xiaoyu behind. "All right," he said and slowly backed away.

"Good," the man said, his attention turning back to Xiaoyu. "Now, where were we?"

"Right here!" Hwoarang shouted, kicking the man's arm away. The gun fired off into the air. Xiaoyu fell back and hit the side of the curb.

"Hwoarang!" she shouted for the redhead.

Hwoarang froze when he heard the loud bang. His heart pounded in his chest as the memories of his past flooded through his mind. It was like time stopped that very moment. Then there was another bang and the redhead felt pain. Slowly, he fell to his knees.

"Hwoarang!" he could hear the faint yells of Xiaoyu behind him.

He could hear the man laughing at him. He could see the red drops hitting the ground by his knees. Then he could hear another body falling to the ground. He looked up to see Xiaoyu standing in front of him. She had knocked the guy to the ground.

"Pest," Hwoarang hissed out in pain. Everything around him was turning into a blur.

It started to rain.

He looked up, but he could see under Xiaoyu's skirt and he felt himself laugh. "Pink," he said and fell over.

"Hwoarang!" Xiaoyu shouted, spinning around and kneeling next him. "Are you okay? Hwoarang!"

He looked up at her and gave her a smile. "Yeah," his voice was a whisper.

"Can you get up? My apartment is down the street. We need to check your wound," she said, sounding worried.

Hwoarang nodded. "Okay," he said, but didn't move. He was in a daze. The whole situation was messed up. Why had he let himself freeze up like that? _Guns scare me,_ he thought. _He died from a gun. I almost died from a gun. I should be stronger. I need to be stronger..._

"Hwoarang!" Xiaoyu yelled again.

"What?" Hwoarang asked, opening his eyes. He could feel liquid splash against his face. _When did I close my eyes?_ he wondered, touching the drops on his cheek. A couple more fell, and he looked up at Xiaoyu.

She was leaning over him. She looked sad. Then he realized it wasn't rain dripping on him; it was her tears. She was crying? Why? "Are you okay?" he asked, slowly sitting up. He hissed in pain and grabbed onto his arm. "Fuck."

She shook her head and gripped at her skirt. "You—" She paused. "We need to get you checked up."

"Okay," he said. "Help me up, will ya?" he asked, looking at her.

She nodded, standing to her feet and bending forward to grab a hold of his good arm and pull him up to his feet. "Come on, it's this way," she said, taking his hand and leading him up the street. She moved quickly, wanting to get away from the rain, worried for Hwoarang.

~X~

Xiaoyu had snuck Hwoarang into her home and right up to her bedroom. By the time they got there, they were both soaked. She bit her lip when she looked at the redhead. This was the second time he was in her bedroom at night, and she could honestly say he was the only boy to ever step into her bedroom. Even Jin had never come in. "Take your shirt and sweater off. I'll get the first-aid kit," she said and left.

Hwoarang frowned, looking down. He was soaking her carpet and probably ruining it. Carefully, he stepped further inside her room. "So much pink...," he mumbled and began to remove the hoodie, unzipping and sliding it off. "Fuck, that hurts," he grunted when he slid it over his left arm. He sighed and placed it on a chair. Then he proceeded to remove his shirt, being more careful with it.

When the shirt was off, he looked at his arm. It was a bloody mess. He couldn't tell how much blood he'd lost or if the bullet had gone through or not. He groaned at the thought of possible scars.

Hwoarang then looked at his pants and felt them. They too were wet and he wondered if he should remove them, too. He erased the thought when Xiaoyu came back in, holding a white box in her hands. She, too, was wet from the rain.

"Do you want to change first?" he asked her, sort of just standing there.

"Oh, no, we should check that wound," she said, motioning for him to sit on the bed. "Go ahead."

"It'll get wet," he said with a frown. "It'll be better in the bathroom."

She frowned, but didn't argue. "Okay, follow me," she said, leaving the room and going down the hall to the guest bathroom. "Just sit down somewhere and I'll do what I can. You still may need to see a doctor, though."

"Yeah," Hwoarang mumbled, looking around the room. It was small, but very clean. He turned his attention to the tub and sat inside it. "Let's do it in the tub," he said, grinning at the dirty thought.

Xiaoyu looked at him. "It's going be hard to move in there," she said as she ran the warm water from the sink. She took out a sponge from the lower cabinet and began to soak it. Once it was good and ready, she made her way over to Hwoarang and sat next to the tub, behind him. She looked at his back and gasped. It was still badly bruised from when he was captured. There were also scars and still some healing cuts around his back and hips. Whatever had happened to him, she could tell it had been bad.

She shook the thought away, though, and began to dab at the back of his upper arm, around the wound. "It looks like it went through," she spoke softly. "I won't be able to do much, though."

Hwoarang only hissed once when he felt the touch of the sponge against his skin. Then he just waited for her to finish. "How bad is it?"

"It looks deep, and you'll need stitches. I can put gauze around it and bandages, but for it to heal right, you will need stitches. Not to mention there is the possibility of nerve damage," she blushed as she moved to the side. "Sorry, I need to see the front," she said and moved into his lap. Her cheeks were crimson in color.

_The tub was a bad idea..., _Hwoarang thought, moving just a bit to let her pass. When she sat on his lap, he kept a straight face. He didn't want to do or say anything that would scare her. Not to mention his arm was hurting so much. "It's fine. Do what you need to do."

"Right," she whispered, her hand moving gently over his arm. She was trying not to hurt Hwoarang even further. Carefully, she set the sponge aside. "I need you to stand for a minute," she said, moving from his lap. She helped him up and stepped out of the tub. She reached over and grabbed the first-aid kit from the counter, opening it. She took out all of the bandages and gauze and laid them out. She then returned to Hwoarang, stepping back into the tub.

She looked up at him and smiled, taking the gauze and starting to set it over the wound. "Hold on to that."

Hwoarang nodded, pressing his hand over the gauze and waiting. He watched her, his eyes traveling down her body. Quickly, he looked away when he felt her hand on his. She added more gauze and then began to wrap it around his wound.

He hissed from the pain when he had to move his arm. It felt stiff, and his fingers couldn't move at all. He knew he should see a doctor about it. He also knew that if he did, he would be caught. He would need to wait until he spoke with Lee. He knew the older guy would know what to do.

Right now, he had another problem. Xiaoyu was touching him, her hands were soft, and now and then, he could feel her breasts against his arm. It didn't help he could see through her light pink shirt. _She's hot. I'm with Jin, and I shouldn't look, but she is hot. _

Hwoarang had felt like he had been sitting there for an hour with her hovering over him and fixing his wound. He tried not to look at her. For one, he didn't want see his bloodied arm, and for another, he wasn't sure what he would do. He wanted to say nothing. But the way he was feeling, he wasn't so sure. _I'm with Jin. I don't do that shit. I won't do that shit. _

"There, finished." said Xiaoyu, stepping back and taking a look at her handy work.

"Okay," Hwoarang whispered, "How is the bleeding?"

"Well, I bandaged it as tight as I could. I don't think it'll stop bleeding completely, but it should slow down enough. You should live. Hwoarang, if you start to feel sick, tell me. Then, no matter what, I'm taking you to a hospital," she said, giving him a stern look.

"All right," he answered and stepped out of the tub. "Call Lee first, though, okay?"

"I will," she said, getting out of the tub and moved over to him. Without warning, she hugged onto him, resting her head onto his chest. Hwoarang was a bit shocked, but slowly, he hugged her back with his good arm. He hadn't been with a girl for a long time. He didn't need to be; he was with Jin. Jin was very important to him. Even so, feeling her this close still felt nice. He hated himself for thinking that way.

He could smell her against him. It was a sweet smell, and her touch was gentle. Her hands were so different than a man's. He shivered at the thought of her touching him more. He closed his eyes, thinking about Jin. He was still with Jin, their relationship seemed rocky, but still, Hwoarang wasn't a cheater. Plus he didn't want to lose Jin or hurt him.

"Thank you!" Xiaoyu shouted as she held onto him. "You saved me," she whispered into his neck, being careful of his arm.

"For what?" He knew why she was saying it, but he didn't feel like she had to. She had ended up saving him in the end. All he had done was knock the one guy off her.

Xiaoyu shook her head and looked at him. "No. You see, if you hadn't come, I don't know what would have happened. Then you got shot. You could have died!" she said, her big brown eyes full of tears. "You always act like you are a mean person, but I can tell you really care for people! You act like you hate Jin, but I can tell you really like him. Then you call me a pest all the time, but today, you saved me. Thank you."

Hwoarang blinked. This girl... She was weird. "You saved mine, too. I would have been dead if you hadn't taken action. Plus I'm all bandaged up," he gave her smile. "Hey, really, it's okay," he said, touching her cheek. Gently, he brushed the tears away and then dropped his hand. "Look, you are all wet and stuff. Go change because I can see things I shouldn't," he said and looked away.

Xiaoyu blushed and stood to her feet. She wanted to say more to him, but held back. "Right," she mumbled. "I'll get you something. Stay there," she said, not looking at him; she felt shy suddenly. She then left, leaving Hwoarang behind.

Hwoarang watched her go and pushed back some falling strands of hair and leaned against the counter. He could hear the rain from outside and noted it sounded louder. He wondered if it would be a good idea to head home or not.

A moment later, Xiaoyu returned, dressed in fuzzy pink pajamas and holding something in her hands. "Hwoarang, I brought you some clothes."

He turned around and looked at her. "I'm not going to wear one of your nightgowns."

She blinked and then chuckled. "No, I have men's clothes here. I bought them after you left for America. I had a feeling I might be helping one of you guys again..." She trailed off, blushing.

Hwoarang looked at her, a bit surprised. "Because of what's going on?" he asked, making his way over to her. He took the clothes from her hands. They were simple sweats and a T-shirt. "You are a smart girl."

Xiaoyu blushed and shook her head. "Well, go ahead and put them on."

"All right, you going to watch me?" he smirked.

"W-what? Well, no. I thought maybe you would need– HEY! Don't take your pants off when I am watching!" she shouted, quickly turning around.

Hwoarang laughed.

~X~

When Hwoarang was finished changing, they returned to Xiaoyu's room. She told him to sit on the bed to relax and left. He watched her go with a bit of confusion, but did as he was told. He went across her room, sat down on the soft bed, and waited.

Things in his life had been so messed up lately. Being captured, getting free, going to America, traveling back to Japan, and now being shot. Yeah, he could say the last few months had been a thrill ride. Never a dull moment.

He let out a low sigh and rubbed a hand through his slightly damp hair. It was still a mess and needed cutting, as Lee had never finished the job. "I'll do it myself," he mumbled as he felt the back. It had grown longer.

Just then the door opened, and Hwoarang looked up. Xiaoyu had returned and was holding a tray in her hand. He looked at it, wondering what sort of a treat she had brought him.

"Hot cocoa!" she said in her usual cheerful voice.

Hwoarang laughed. "Great idea," he said and stood up, taking one of the cups. He took a sip and welcomed the warm liquid running through his body. "It's good."

"Thank you," she said with a bright smile. "Do you want any pain meds for your arm?"

Hwoarang shook his head. "Nah, it doesn't hurt too bad, and I can move it. I'm not that concerned."

She looked at him, a bit uncertain, but nodded her head anyway and got on the bed. Hwoarang sat next to her, keeping the mug in his hands. They stayed in silence, sipping their hot cocoa.

"So, what happened tonight? Where is your bear friend?" he asked her, only now noticing that the panda was missing.

"Panda had a mission to go on, a request from a friend. I told her it was fine to go. Tonight was simple enough; I needed something from the store and went out on my own, knowing it was late. The guy I had already knocked out when you got there caught my attention first. Then the other two came out of nowhere and attacked, one of them came out with a knife, threatening me to be quiet," she explained, looking out her window. "It happened so fast I didn't know how to react."

"Oh, I see," Hwoarang mumbled and drank more. He leaned over and placed the mug on the nightstand, sitting back, so he rested against the headboard. "It happens, I guess. Some of the best fighters can get caught in a jam sometimes," he said as he looked at her. "It's over, though."

Xiaoyu looked at him and nodded, a smile growing on her face. "Yeah. But why were you out? You are supposed to be keeping it low, right?"

Hwoarang nodded. "I had a nightmare. The kind that seems so real it freaks you out. So I left for fresh air," he shrugged.

"What was it about?" she asked, sipping more of her cocoa.

"None of your business," he snapped. Then he ran a hand over his head, feeling bad for yelling. _She did just help me._ "Sorry, it's personal."

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Hwoarang ignored her, though, as he reached over and grabbed his hot chocolate. He finished it in two gulps. "How's the rain?" he asked, looking at her.

She looked back and giggled. "Hwoarang, you have chocolate on your face," she pointed at him and laughed a bit more.

He frowned, rubbing at his cheek, then licked his lips. "Oops," he said, feeling rather embarrassed.

"Looks like the rain stopped," she said with a smile. "Are you going back home?"

Hwoarang nodded. "I should. I don't want you to get into trouble if I'm spotted here in the morning," he said with a frown.

"I don't think Jin would mind if he knew the situation. It's late, you know," she said, looking at her clock. "Plus it's dangerous for you."

Hwoarang nodded. "It is," he agreed and sighed. He didn't want to stay there. He wanted to get back to Jin. He wasn't sure what he would do if he stayed here all night with her. He didn't have the best confidence in himself; not with the way things have been. His mind, he knew, wasn't the most stable now. It scared him.

"It'll be okay. I can set up the futon for you," she said and stood up. "You can call one of the guys to pick you up in the morning."

He watched her. "All right," he said, swallowing a bit. He had a bad feeling about this arrangement, in more ways than one.

~X~

Jin was still awake and staring out the window. The rain had stopped, and he was thinking about going out to find Hwoarang. He had been gone far too long, and he was worried something had happened. The blood in his body boiled. The devil in his head wasn't helping, either.

_**He is with another!**_** it hissed.**

_No. He is just with friends, or walking around. He will be home._

_**He is with a girl! I can feel it. You are losing him. You are losing our mate. Get him back!**_

_You lie!_

_**Do I? Get him back. It will be too late. GET HIM BACK!**_

"No! No!" Jin screamed, holding onto his head as he fell off his bed. "No!" he yelled once more before he faded into darkness and black wings took over.

Devil Jin stood up and a wicked grin formed on his face. "I will take back what belongs to us," he hissed and jumped out the window, breaking the glass on the way.

**To Be Continued...**


	16. Danger Arrives

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Danger Arrives

~X~

Hwoarang glanced at the sleeping figure slumped against his shoulder. Xiaoyu had fallen asleep only moments ago and, to his annoyance, had landed against his arm and then had proceeded to wrap her arm around his waist. He hated when girls did that. He wasn't even seeing her and yet, he was still being used for a stuffed animal, which her room was filled with. "Killjoy," he mumbled, looking over at the sleeping girl.

_How am I supposed to move without waking her? _He bit his lip in thought. In his life, Hwoarang had been with many women. It was their beauty that gathered his attention. He couldn't say he ever liked a girl for the personality. No, they annoyed him.

Even so, he could never figure out how to sneak out of a bed without one waking and then bitching at him. It just made things more difficult and started a fight he didn't need. Xiaoyu, however, was different.

She was innocent, and he hadn't touched her in any lewd way he would have touched a random chick he had met at a bar. Even so, he had to get home, back to the others and back to Jin. He knew the man had to be worried. He had already been gone far longer than planned. He just wasn't sure if he wanted to wake her or not.

He felt bad, thinking about it. When they had been talking only moments ago, he had been able to tell she was tired. He had wanted to leave then, but she had said something, and the next thing he knew, she was falling asleep and had then landed at him.

Now he was stuck. "This must be my punishment," he mumbled, tilting his head back so it rested against the wall.

Just then, there was a tap at the window. Hwoarang turned his head to look out. There, looking at him, was Jin. Or what looked like Jin with large black wings. "Shit," he mumbled, grabbing Xiaoyu and rolling off the bed, away from the window.

Just as he did, the glass was shattered and Devil Jin jumped into the room, pointing his clawed hand at Hwoarang.

"Filth!" he shouted and charged for the redhead.

Hwoarang laid Xiaoyu down on the carpet and stood to his feet. "Yeah, yeah, let's take this outside," he said, stepping away from a very confused Xiaoyu.

"Hwoarang?" she questioned, slowly sitting up. When she saw whom he was talking to she gasped.

"Stay put!" Hwoarang ordered, not taking his eyes off Jin. "And you! I said outside," he demanded, being bold and shoving the larger man forcefully to the window.

Devil Jin didn't wait and he grabbed Hwoarang by his wounded arm, dragging him out the broken window and into the rain.

"Hwoarang! Jin!" Hwoarang could hear Xiaoyu's shouts, and hoped she would stay inside this time.

They landed just outside of Xiaoyu's home in the middle of the street. Hwoarang could feel blood slide down his arm from the opened wound and drip down his finger. It hurt like a bitch, but it wasn't as bad as the fear he felt at that very moment. He stared at Devil Jin, wondering how he had known where he was and why he had come. _He called me filth? Does Jin think I was cheating on him?_

"You belong to me," Devil Jin spoke, his voice low and threatening. He let out a low growl as he looked at Hwoarang, wanting to tear into his flesh, but the man inside his head wouldn't allow it.

"Oh, yeah? I don't see your name anywhere," Hwoarang shot back boldly.

"That can be arranged," Devil Jin said, smirking at the redhead and moving closer.

Hwoarang swallowed, "It probably could. Do you even have a name? Is it Jin? Or do you call yourself DJ? Perhaps Bob." _I'm a crazy man._

Devil Jin acted quickly, rushing forward and grabbing Hwoarang by both shoulders and pushing him to the ground. He brought his knee up and pressed it to Hwoarang's chest as he stared at him. "Don't tempt me."

Hwoarang ignored the pain that shot through his head and glared back. "To do what? Brand me? Claim me yours? Or, in a sick, twisted way, love me?" He was being bold and he knew it. Something told him he had to be.

Then, just like that, Jin's eyes softened and the horns on his head began to disappear, along with the feathers on his back. He gasped in confusion and quickly backed off. "I'm sorry," he said, kneeling on the wet ground, only inches away from where Hwoarang lay.

Hwoarang didn't say anything. He just lay there, staring at the dark sky above. After a moment, he sat up and looked at Jin. The other man hadn't moved from his spot. Hwoarang wasn't sure what to do or what had really happened. He just stayed silent and stared at Jin.

Jin felt distraught; the devil within him was getting stronger. He could feel the want and need to cut Hwoarang's skin, watch him bleed and carve his name in his chest. He could see the image clear as day in his mind. He gripped at his head, trying to shake the images away. They were haunting him.

Over and over again, he could see Hwoarang's blood drip down his chest, writing out his name. A permanent stamp that told the world Hwoarang was his and his alone. Jin pulled his hair and he let out a low growl of frustration.

It was getting bad, and he could feel the devil within reawaken. He could smell the blood. It was fresh, and he wanted it. He knew it was Hwoarang's. He was beginning to crave for it now.

His heart started to hammer in his chest. Though he had been able to pull back the beast just a moment ago, it was coming back. The desire to hurt Hwoarang, to make him bleed, was strong; so powerful, his body started to shake.

Then, a soft hand touched the top of his head. His body jerked and he dropped his hands, looking up at Hwoarang, who was crouching over him. He could see the look of concern written over the redhead's face. He felt bad; why couldn't he control the monster inside him? Hwoarang needed for him to be strong and here he was, being everything but.

"Get a hold of yourself, Jin. We have to get home; it's raining," Hwoarang said, his voice soft. He stood up and looked around. "Do you have your cell on you? We can call Lee."

Jin was silent. He was looking up at Hwoarang in surprise. The redhead wasn't yelling at him or trying to fight. No, he was being nice—caring, even. Slowly, he stood to his feet and rubbed at his pants, searching for his phone. When he found it, he handed it over to the redhead.

Hwoarang took the phone and flipped it open. He searched the contact list until he found Lee's number; he pressed the call button and put the phone to his ear. "It'll be okay, Kazama," he whispered and waited.

**~X~**

The ride home was silent. When Lee received the phone call from Hwoarang, he wasn't too surprised. He had stayed up, waiting for it. He was a bit shocked to see Jin with the redhead, however. He didn't question anything, and instead just took them home.

Once they got home, he agreed to help Hwoarang with his arm to try and fix the bleeding wound. "How did this happen?" Lee asked as he looked at the bloody mess.

"It started out as a gunshot. The bullet grazed my arm pretty good. Then, Jin the Bird came flying through the window and decided to grab me by the same arm with his claws. So, the wound got a little bigger. I need to see a doctor, Lee," he admitted as he looked at his arm.

"Yes, you do," Lee said as he carefully cleaned the blood and wrapped up the injured area.

"Shit, and the tournament is in two days," Hwoarang cussed. He hated to think about fighting in the tournament and someone using his bad arm as leverage.

"Yes, it is. Will you be ready for it?" Lee asked as he finished.

"If you take me to the hospital, I will be," he said and looked at the older man, a smile on his face. "I bet Jin will want to come, too."

Lee nodded. "Yeah, might as well. He seems pretty shaky about all this."

"I know," Hwoarang looked away and ran a hand through his hair. There was a lot of shit going on, and he felt it was his fault. The guys wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for him. He should have just told them all to forget him, to continue with their lives. However, he was selfish. He didn't want to do this alone.

"Let's go," Lee said and walked out of the room. "It's dangerous and all, but a doctor should look at that. We should have gone there first," he commented, grabbing his keys.

Hwoarang nodded and followed after the older man. "Jin, come on!"

**~X~**

The following morning, Hwoarang woke up with a heavy weight over his chest. He blinked his eyes open and looked over to his side. Jin was sleeping next to him, naked. He smirked.

After they had gotten home from the hospital, Hwoarang had been a little more than high from the pain meds. He had embraced Jin as soon as they had gotten into their room. He had listened to Jin's apologies over and over, and then shushed him with a kiss. It had been short and sweet.

What had happened next had been a wild night under thin blankets. He had ended up on top of Jin, fucking him through the rest of the night. They both had fallen asleep gasping for breath and embraced in each other's arms. It had been what Hwoarang liked to call romantic.

"Kinky romantic, with a tight ass," he chuckled at his own words and turned to his side so he was facing Jin. He reached over and trailed his fingers over the other man's shoulder, carefully tracing the hot skin. He grinned when he saw Jin jump in his sleep, withdrawing his hand when he woke.

"Morning," Hwoarang whispered.

Jin sat up and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. "Afternoon," he said and smiled at the redhead.

Hwoarang smiled back and leaned forward, kissing Jin once. "Whatever. It's morning somewhere."

"So it is," Jin answered, returning the kiss and then adding another.

These were the moments Jin enjoyed the most, the seconds he cherished with the redhead and hoped to remember in the future, even though he knew dark times were just ahead. He just hoped he wouldn't lose Hwoarang in the process.

**To Be Continued…**


	17. Here Is the Fun

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tekken.**

**A/N: Thank you, Salysha, for the proofreading!**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

Here Is the Fun

~X~

Spin, kick, turn, switch leg, kick.

"Again."

"Hn." Spin, kick, turn, switch leg, kick.

"Again."

A grunt. Spin, kick, turn, switch leg, kick.

"Again."

"Lee…," Hwoarang groaned, standing in the center of an old dojo that hadn't been open to the public for a year, but pulling some strings, Lee had been able to open it for the four of them.

"Again, Hwoarang," the older man scolded.

With a growl, Hwoarang repeated the process of a spin kick with the right leg and then with the left. They had been practicing and sparring for more than two hours now. The tournament was a day away and they all needed as much preparation as they could acquire.

Lee had gotten them out of bed at four A.M. just for the occasion. Hwoarang had asked for his help with his training. The older man seemed to know more about his fighting style than the other two, and so he had thought it would be a good idea. As it turned out, Lee was an even harsher trainer than Baek.

"Again," Lee repeated, his arms crossed as he watched Hwoarang.

Hwoarang did as he was told, kicking thin air five more times. Then he stopped and looked at Lee with a bit of hope.

"Again," was the answer.

"Chaolan!" Hwoarang whined, stomping his foot to the ground like a child, as he glared at the older man.

"Hwoarang!" Lee shouted back.

"Ug! I want a break! _They_ get a break!" he said, pointing at Jin and Steve. The two were sitting on the floor and against a wall on the other side of the dojo, watching them and drinking water.

"Because they don't need as much work as you do. You are the one who has been injured and in bed for the last few weeks. The first matches are tomorrow, and you need to be prepared," Lee said his tone serious.

Hwoarang ran a hand through his damp hair. "You're fired. Jin, come help and tell me to go on a break!" he said, turning to face his lover.

Jin only shook his head; Hwoarang, in return, flipped him off.

"Now, again," Lee said. A wide grin had spread on his face.

"Ass," Hwoarang mumbled, but he did as he was told. He kicked and spun around, barely missing Lee's head. "Oops."

"Watch it!" the older man shouted, having dodged the attack. It went on like that for another hour until Lee finally told Hwoarang he could stop and rest.

"Fuck, I am tired," Hwoarang complained, falling onto his bottom and lying on the floor. "Lee, I think you are doing this to torture me."

"Call it payback," Lee said, handing Hwoarang a bottle of water.

Hwoarang sat up and grabbed the offered drink. "Yeah, sure," he said and took a few swallows. "I just hope we eat soon. All this kicking is working up an appetite."

"Yeah, maybe after a few kicks on the punching bag, we all can go for lunch," Lee said, taking a seat on the floor next to Hwoarang. He regretted it when he noticed how dirty the floor actually was.

"A few? You mean like 20 or 50?" Hwoarang asked.

"I was thinking a 100 for each leg," Lee answered.

"Fuck you," Hwoarang cursed, but there wasn't any real bite to his words.

"Looks like Hwoarang is having a fun time," Steve mumbled to Jin.

"Yes, but Lee knows what he's doing. It is best to push Hwoarang, then let him do as he wants," Jin said, leaning on the palms of his hands.

"But that's just it: Hwoarang _does_ do what he wants. If he was really getting annoyed with Lee, he would've walked out by now," Steve said, eyes on the redhead.

"That's right, but Hwoarang also wants to win, and he knows the best way he can do that is to train. Lee, right now, is his best option, being that he cannot see his own master right now," Jin explained.

"I reckon, but it looks like Lee's just pissing Hwoarang off," Steve mumbled.

"Yes, but Hwoarang likes to be pissed off. It's more fun for him," Jin said. He smiled at Steve and stood to his feet. "We should get back to training as well."

_**You shouldn't let what belongs to you have fun with someone else, someone who is becoming closer to him than you are.**_

_Shut up._

"All right," Steve said and stood. "A spar?"

Jin nodded.

~X~

After a few more hours of training, they started to head home, making one stop.

"Hey, Lee. Give me money," Hwoarang demanded, reaching forward at Lee.

"Give? You mean loan?" Lee questioned, but nonetheless reached into his pocket.

"Yeah, sure, _loan_," Hwoarang said, rolling his eyes.

"Wait, why are you always asking me for money?" Lee asked, turning in his seat to look at Hwoarang. They were parked in front of the local store.

"You're rich," Hwoarang stated, looking at Lee as if it was obvious.

"Yes, but the other two have money as well. Why not ask either of them?" Lee asked, checking his wallet.

"Uh, because, Steve needs his money and Jin is stingy, so please?" Hwoarang begged, keeping his arm stretched out to Lee.

Steve laughed at the whole ordeal, while Jin remained quiet.

Lee made an annoyed sigh and handed Hwoarang a couple of bills. "I want the change back," he demanded, watching Hwoarang all but jump from the car.

The redhead grinned, pocketing the money and putting his hood on before he made his way into the store. He wasn't long in there, and when he returned, he only had with him a small bag which he stuffed into his jacket pocket.

"Here," Hwoarang said as he got into the car. He handed Lee the change.

"You didn't spend much," Lee said as he put the money into his wallet.

"Nah, and I'll pay this back. Uh, when I get money," he grinned. "Promise."

"Right, can we go home now?" Lee asked, starting the car again.

"Yes, sir!" Hwoarang saluted.

~X~

The guys quickly found out what Hwoarang had bought when he emerged from the bathroom later that night. When the Korean came down for dinner in nothing but his boxers, he was a redhead again, and his hair was swept back by his goggles. He was looking more like the Hwoarang they used to know.

"I knew it wasn't natural," Lee said as he grabbed a plate of food.

"It is, it's the brown that I had to dye over," Hwoarang answered. "Don't be fooled by the dark roots. Ah, and can you finish cutting my hair? Tournament tomorrow, I want to look good."

"If you put clothes on," Lee answered.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Hwoarang said, picking up his plate and carrying it into the living room; there, he sat by Jin on the floor. "So, Jin, are you excited for tomorrow? Think we'll fight each other?"

Jin didn't respond.

_**You should kill Lee. He's getting too close.**_

_They are friends. Hwoarang is allowed to have friends!_

_**Is he? Even if he flirts with them?**_

_He does not!_

"Yo, Earth to Kazama!" Hwoarang said, snapping his fingers in front of Jin's eyes.

Jin jumped and looked to Hwoarang. "Oh, yes, I was just thinking about the tournament. Are you sure you want to go with everything that's going on?"

Hwoarang stared at his lover, confused. "Yeah, we went through this. We won't find out anything if we don't jump in headfirst. It's not like they can do anything with a crowd, anyway. I might be safer at the tournament than here at home."

"Yes, but they can also use the people to their advantage. They can mask your kidnapping with the crowd as much as they can blend into it," said Jin, resting his hand on top of Hwoarang's thigh. "I don't want to lose you again."

Hwoarang wrinkled his nose. Jin's words were nice, but the tone of his voice sounded off. "You won't unless _you_ fuck up," he said, and poked Jin in the chest. "Don't worry about it. We have a plan. Not to mention Sam said he would keep an eye out, or whatever."

"Are you sure we can trust him?"

"Yeah, Lee gave him more pies then he asked for. I mean, sure, whoever else he is working for might pay him more, but still I think he does his job, no less. He might be crazy, but he seems loyal enough," Hwoarang explained. "Relax and eat."

Jin nodded. He was worrying too much. It wasn't entirely his fault; he was on the edge lately, and the devil inside him was driving him mad. He wasn't sure how long he had before _it _completely took over his mind. Then he was sure he would lose Hwoarang. _I can't let that happen._

~X~

The following morning, the four guys made it to the arena. They were currently waiting to find out when and with whom their first matches were going to be. Hwoarang stood in the back, wearing his usual clothing of a leather vest and tight jeans with straps. His hair was shorter again and swept back in its usual style. He was still sore in some areas, but he felt a lot better and more like himself.

He had already seen Xiaoyu and said hello. She had surprised him with a hug and a few words to let him know she was glad he was okay. It was all those girly things that would usually annoy Hwoarang, but he accepted them from her with a bit of fondness.

He was quick to notice Jin's jealous glares as well and how rude the man was to her when Xiaoyu gave him the same friendly hello. Hwoarang hated to watch it. He wanted to punch Jin for it, but kept the thought to himself. He knew Jin was having his own problems, so he let it slide.

It was something he was going to have to talk to Jin about. The jealous thing was getting a bit out of hand. He didn't like that shit. Hwoarang wasn't going to lie and say he never got jealous, but Jin was becoming possessive. It was getting to the point where Hwoarang was feeling suffocated.

The night before, when Lee had been cutting his hair, Jin had taken his place and finished the job. He had said that Lee was doing it wrong, or whatever. Then, that morning, Steve had walked in on Hwoarang in the shower, and Hwoarang had thought Jin was going to kill the boxer.

Hwoarang knew what Jin was hiding inside him and, in truth, he wasn't sure if he should be scared of Jin or the man who had kidnapped him. He didn't want to lose Jin. He needed Jin right now, he was a great support, but he was afraid he might have to step away and afraid that Jin was going to do more harm than good. It sucked because Hwoarang really loved Jin. That wasn't something he could easily come by. A lot of the people he had ever loved left him or died.

The only ones that had left him were Baek, his friend Bea, and now Jin. He didn't want to lose Jin like he had his mother and... "Jamie," he whispered.

Jamie was someone who continued to haunt Hwoarang's mind lately and someone whom he continued to see everywhere he turned. Even now, in the arena, he could see the man clear as day, chatting with Steve, now and then looking his way.

Hwoarang held his breath. It wasn't an illusion: Jamie was there, talking to Steve. His heart began to pound in his chest. How was this possible? He was supposed to be dead. He had watched the man die; he had been there!

Panic began to stir in Hwoarang's gut, and he could feel his heart beating faster. If this was true, if Jamie was alive, then that meant he was Lord Kaji; that the man who was once a boyfriend was out to get him. A man whom Hwoarang had watched get shot almost four years ago and who had died next to him in a pool of blood.

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
